244 The Ruffed Grouse 



cerned. Despite diligent search, no tularemia has been found in 

 eastern grouse. The true significance of this disease in ruffed grouse 

 therefore remains unsolved. At least, it is potentially destructive. 



Ulcerative Enteritis. This infection of the posterior part of the small 

 intestine has been observed in captive ruffed grouse and bobwhite 

 quail for several decades. Commonly called "grouse disease" or 

 "quail disease," it caused great mortality in numerous bird-rearing 

 ventures. Levine (1932) described an epizootic in captive ruffed 

 grouse and showed that the causative organism was transmitted on 

 ground infected by the birds' droppings. Morley and Wetmore 

 (1936) proved that the organism was bacterial, similar to that 

 which causes human diphtheria, and named it Corynehacterium 

 perdicium. Bass (1941) later identified the organism in quail as a 

 ". . . gram-negative, anaerobic bacillus . . . ," transmittable by 

 coprophagy. He was able to immunize quail with killed cultures of 

 the specific organism. 



It was suspected that a disease that would infect grouse so rapidly 

 as ulcerative enteritis, would likely occur in wild birds, possibly be- 

 coming a serious mortality factor. Green and Shillinger (1934) 

 found it among wild grouse in Minnesota, and noted that "Occurring 

 as a natural infection, it stands out as a disease which may play a 

 devastating role in the periodic destruction of ruffed grouse at peak 

 abundance." They reported three cases of the disease, one of the 

 birds being greatly emaciated and weighing only 210 grams. 



For the present, we must list this disease along with tularemia 

 as a potentially destructive force, but not yet demonstrated to be 

 effective in wild giouse populations. 



Other Diseases. Wild ruffed grouse are occasional victims of vari- 

 ous other diseases. A number of these are secondary afflictions fol- 

 lowing wounds from accidents or gunshot. Among these may be 

 enteritis, peritonitis, pneumonia, hepatitis, ventriculitis, ruptures, 

 tumors, lead poisoning, septicemia, and so forth; all of these have 

 been reported by the New York study (iV. Y. S. Cons. Dept. Ann. 

 Rep., 19S2-41 ) . Other abnormalities reported as a result of that in- 

 vestigation include tuberculosis ( three cases in 1937-38 ) , cloacal in- 

 fection, egg-binding, and malnutrition. 



Allen and Gross ( 1926 ) recorded two cases of bird pox in grouse 

 from Massachusetts. They described it as causing warty growths 



