Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-01-29

ed in anything which vitality concerns
the welfare of this noble bird which
has played such an important role in
our experiences in the Great Out of
Doors"
TT has long been known that there
are periodic fluctuations in the num-
bers of grouse. The birds gradually
increase in numbers over definite pc
riod of years until they seem abundant
in every locality favorable for their
existence Then suddenly and unex-
pectedly the numbers drop until COM
paratively few birds are to be found
There has usually been a full recovery
from these adverse conditions and in
time the birds were back or above
their normal numbers.
I'm recent years. however the de-
crease has been so great and the re-
covery in many places so incomplete
that 1t is causing considerable concern
to ornithologists and sportsmen
throughout the country.
While there is no immediate dam
ger for the grouse we wish to forestall
the possibility of the ruffed grouse
Following the fate of the heath hen,
that fine game bird, which in colonial
days was abundant from Maine to Vir-
gin1a, but today is represented by less
than 20 individuals which are fighting
for their very existence on Martha
Vienyard Island off the coast of Mas
sachusetts.
Many theories and guesses have
been advanced to explain the cause of
the depletion in the numbers of the
ruffed grouse, but up to the present
no serious scientific study has been
made to explain these phenomena.
"A New England committee has I'M
dertaken the task of raising a fund of
$4,000 to finance three years inves-
tigation of the ruffed grouse.
"Ornithology Is my special field Of
investigation at Bowdoin college and
having been engaged in an Independent
investigation of the ruffed grouse in
Maine, I was asked by the committee
to direct the work in New England.
"In order to make this.work a COM
plete success, it is necessary to have
the cooperation of all sportsmen
throughout the range of the grouse.
We need frequent and complete re-
ports concerning the grouse of your
section of the country and above all,
we need specimens of birds for path
illogical examination and study. Entire
birds found dead or those killed which
appear to be abnormal or diseased are
most important, but We also wish to
receive the crop, stomach and intes-
tines, parts you discard. from every
| bird killed. Often birds which appear
normal have disease present in an in
cipient state. Furthermore. the
presence of disease Is only one phase
OF our work. We are interested in the
food, growth, distribution of the birds,
plumage changes, grouse enemies, in
TACT, everything which directly or in
directly affects the life of the ruffed
grouse.
The diseases and parasites thus far
found indicate that they are important
factors in the life of the ruffed grouse.
We have shown that certain disease
centers exist from which the infections
may spread and that different para
sites or diseases exist in different sec
tons of the range. New diseases will
probably be discovered and new cases
Will be added to those already found,
but as yet no one of these various dis
eases rank in Importance with the
parasites.
"We.have found nothing in the cycle
or diseases or in the occurrence of
parasites which will definitely ac-
count for the periodic fluctuations in
the numbers of the ruffed grouse but
as the work progresses such relations
may be found to exist. Specific dis
eases may be found to be correlated
with the presence of certain parasites.
The blood sucking Hippobesoid fly of
which We have heard so much in the
papers may be an agent in carrying
disease from other animals or from
bird to bird. but as yet we have not
the least bit of evidence of this rela-
ton.
The decrease in birds in certain To-
calities is undoubtedly influenced by
other factors such as excessive num-
Der of hawks. owls. foxes, cats and
other natural enemies. 1 wish to state
emphatically that disease kills more
birds than all the guns in the coun-
try
At the banquet in the evening Rob-
ert j. Hodgdon of Lewiston was the
POSTMASTER and Arthur G. Staples.
editor of the Lewiston Journal was
the main speaker. Several reels of
hunting scenes in Africa were shown.