APPENDIX G 119 



the district. In actual fact this did not occur, for tlie birds in the north were not 

 affected by the bad breeding season, whereas in certain districts in the south the shortage 

 of young birds was very serious. The reason for the shortage was obviously bad health 

 rather than bad weather, for in those parts of Perthshire where the stock was healthy, 

 the bags were good in spite of the bad breeding season. There does not appear to 

 be any reason why the stocks should have been more healthy in the north than in 

 the south. The prospects for 1908 are not good ; 1907 having been a l)ad heather year, 

 the danger will be greatest in the north owing to the large stocks left. 



1908—47 Reports. 



Weather. — A fine open January and February, March cold and stormy with wet 

 and frost in places, April very wintry with hard frosts at the end of the month and in 

 the beginning of May (17°, 16°, and 18° Fahren.), May, June, and July universally line, 

 dry and warm, August dry, September wet, followed by fine weather with a snowstorm 

 in December. 



Heather. — The growth was excellent ; on one moor in Perthshire birds were reported 

 to be feeding on ground burned this spring. The growth was checked temporarily by 

 the frosts in April and May ; but the bloom was exceptionally good and early, and 

 the seed ripened well all over the district ; a first-rate heather year. 



Stoch. — At the beginning of the year the stock was above the average in numbers 

 but in one or two places it was reported not very healthy. The breeding season was 

 disappointing considering the favourable hatching weather, the nests were very badly 

 filled, and a mysterious disappearance of chicks was reported from many districts. A 

 good deal of disease was reported, especially from Moray, Banff, and Aberdeen,^ wliere 

 the large stock had been left from 1907. On the other hand, from one district which 

 had been swept by disease in 1907 the reports were excellent — well-filled nests, plenty of 

 young birds, no disease." On August 12th the stocks were reported unequal, but the 

 majority were below the average in numbers, and in many cases birds were reported still 

 sickly ; afterwards the stock recovered, and at the end of the year was reported to be 

 a fair average in numbers and very healthy. 



Eemarks. — This season offers an opportunity for considerable speculation ; very cold 

 weather in the mating season, frost in the nesting season, magnificent weather in the 

 hatching season, and a fine warm summer. Why were the results so bad ? Many reporters 

 consider that the shortage was due to loss of eggs by frost; but there is little evidence in 

 support of this view, for what eggs there were seemed to have hatched out unusually well ; 

 and it must be borne in mind that the shortage was noted before the frost came for there 

 were few eggs in the nests. Possibly the wintry weather in the mating season may 

 have caused the birds to postpone their pairing, and so delayed and disorganised their 

 usual breeding haljits ; colour is lent to tliis view by the fact that many barren birds 



' Vide map, 1903, Appendix I. '' Vide Note in Appendix H. p. 13-4. 



