756 



PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF THE RIFFED GROUSE 



Previous to testing some of the birds had been living at 65°F. and 80°F. Some were meas- 

 ured immediately after ingesting food, others a few hours after eating and still others after 

 fasting from 100 to 148 hours. 



After the birds had been held inactive for the time specified, they were subjected to a short 

 period of activity, following which measurements were again recorded to determine the influ- 

 ence of this type of activity and excitement upon physiologic factors. The resultant data are 

 presented in table 103. 



TABLK 103. EFFECT OF IiWCTIVlTV ON THE BODY TKMI'EH XTIHK. HEVKT R\TK 

 AND RESPIRATION OF BOTH FEEDING AND FASTINti GROUSE 



Condition of birds 



Number 

 of birds 



Air 

 temperature 



Time of 

 inactivity 



Measurements recorded 



At start 



After 



inactivity 



Drop 



After 

 excitement 



Rise 



Average soon after eating 

 Fasting 100 to 148 hours. 

 Normally feeding 



Average soon after eating 

 Fasting 100 to 1(8 hours. 

 Normally feeding 



Average soon after eating 

 Fasting 100 to 148 hours. 



6 



6 



{'I 



6 

 6 



{'I 



53°F. 

 63 

 63 

 80 



63 

 65 

 65 



63 

 63 



2H hrs. 

 l-S/6 



2% 



2\4 

 1-5/6 



2H 



2i4 

 1-5/6 



108.2°F. 

 106.9 

 107.7 

 108.4 



73 

 53 

 64 



75 



Rectal temperature 



106.1°F 

 10S.8 

 106.6 

 106.2 



2.1">F. 



1.1 



1.1 



107.0°F. 

 106.8 

 107.3 

 107.3 



Respiration rat^' — p^'r minute 



51 

 46 

 46 

 54 



18 

 21 



79 

 61 

 67 

 78 



Heart rate — iicr mioute 



333 

 310 



280 

 237 



53 

 73 



349 

 334 



0.9° F. 

 1.0 

 0.7 

 1.1 



28 

 IS 

 21 

 21 



69 

 97 



Both inactivit} and excitement liad a signilicant effect upon heart rale and body tempera- 

 ture. This rapid physiologic adjustment to changing environmental conditions demonstrates 

 considerable lability in heart beat in whirh the great increase from the minimum level of 

 repose to the level of emotional excitement is particularly noteworthy, especially for fasting 

 grouse. 



Because of indi\iilual variation in the frequencN. (Iiiratioii and intcnsitv of active periods, 

 it was not practical to plot the average trends for the various factors for all grouse used in 

 this experiment. To do this would definitely mask the true effect of repose on metabolic ac- 

 tivity. However, the physiologic reaction of two grouse to repose has been plotted at four- 

 niinule observational intervals (figure 88). These records are representative of ten ntlu-r 

 individuals. 



There was a considerable reduction in rale of breathing and heart beat and in body tem- 

 perature as these grouse became more and more inactive. Of the two iiirds used, liie female 

 exhibited a greater rate of reduction in the intensity of the three physiological activities. The 

 metabolic intensity of the male remained higher and required a longer time to reach a basal 

 level at about the 2 1 6th mimile than the female whose basal level was reached at about the 

 168th minute of slud\. .Slight movements of the external body (iiidiralcd li\ \ in figure 88) 

 resulted in a small increase in the several physiologic activities. 



Of interest are the observations, designated by ® at various points in the figure, that a slight 

 rise in body temperature preceded a drop of greater degree. This phenomenon was noted fre- 



