68 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS. 



eggs. These I noticed were rather less richly coloured than 

 average grouse-eggs ; but they nearly all hatched out subse- 

 quently, except one or two, which were almost colourless. 

 In the middle of the month (June) I had a very favourable 

 rej^ort from the keeper. " I have seen a lot of broods to- 

 day," he wrote, " one with eleven, a grand lot. I think the 

 disease has now quite stopped, as I have seen none new- 

 dead lately." So matters ran on for a whole month. But 

 the line had been passed ; the inevitable result was bound 

 to follow ; and at the end of July, literally at the eleventh 

 hour, broke out a disease whose deadly virulence devastated 

 the hills, and in less tJuui a fortnight the stock of grouse was 

 decimated. 



Here is the report of August 5 : "I am sorry to say the 

 prospects for the 12th are very bad indeed. The * black 

 ground ' by all means worst, as that was sure to be when 

 disease comes ; mixed ground is always best off. I was out 

 yesterday all over the best ground with the dogs. I found 

 the young birds dying — great big good birds. I opened 

 some, and it is the real disease — their livers affected. I am 

 certain I could not have shot five brace at the outside, and 

 hunting all the best of the ground." 



The outward symptoms of the disease in this sudden or 

 acute form were not very easy to recognize when shooting 

 in August. The physical condition of the grouse, their 

 state of plumpness or leanness, was hardly any criterion. 

 ]\lany birds which were undoubtedly affected still retained 

 their full plump breast and thighs, and the proportion of 

 emaciated, fleshless grouse, with protruding breastbone and 

 stocking-less legs, was insignificantly small in relation to 

 the extent and virulence of the disease. Nor was their 

 plumage in this case any more reliable an index ; it is, more- 

 over, always worn and dull at this season. Keepers, how- 

 ever, in years of disease usually forget this (or do not know 

 it), and ascribe the washed-out appearance of old birds 

 exclusively to the disease. From the above and other 

 reasons, I infer that this particular form of grouse-disease 

 is no lingering illness. It cuts its victims down sharply and 

 suddenly, before they have had time to lose their plumage or 



