128 APPENDIX G 



1908—7 Reports. 



Weather. — Wintry weather in beginning of the year. April very cold with snow and frost, 

 thereafter fine and normal. 



Heather. — Young heather grew well ; the bloom was good, and the seed ripened well. 



Stock. — The year began with a good average stock and healthy. The snow in April 

 did much damage to eggs. There were a good many second broods. On August 12th the 

 stock was up to the average and healthy, the bags were below the average, and the 

 stocks left were below the average but healthy. 



Hemarks. — The health of the stock in 1909 was excellent, only one isolated case of 

 " disease " being reported. 



Summary of Eesults Obtained. 



From the foregoing abstract of Eeports, it will be seen that the weather conditions varied 

 considerably in different parts of the country. In the majority of cases the combinations 

 of natural causes produced results which might have been expected — this is especially well 

 marked in Scotland. In other cases the results came as a surprise, but were sufficiently 

 conclusive to justify us in amending some of the theories which have hitherto been regarded 

 as established. The Eeports are capable of various constructions, but the following may 

 be regarded as a reasonable interpretation of some of the facts observed. 



1. Good Heather Growth, i.e., good growth of leaf, flower, and seed, is followed by a healthy 

 stock in the following year. We have a striking example of this in 1908-1909, when a 

 first-rate heather crop was succeeded by a disease-free year. It follows that when the heather 

 growth is good a large stock may he left. 



2. Bad Heather Groivth is usually followed by some mortality, and where stocks are 

 large this mortality may assume serious proportions. It follows that when the heather 

 growth is poor stocks should be killed down. 



3. The Direct Effect of Weather Conditions on Grouse. — The direct effect of weather upon 

 Grouse seems to be slight, though the indirect effect as affecting their food sui:)ply is enormous. 

 Adult Grouse seem to be unaffected by cold, snow, wet, or frost, and even in the breeding 

 season the destruction of eggs and young caused by climatic conditions does not seem to 

 be disastrous except in a few extreme cases. It is true tliat many reporters speak to the 

 fact of eggs being destroyed by frost, snow, and rain, and chicks being killed liy wet and 

 cold ; but as the statement is often followed by a favourable report upon the young stock 

 on August 12th it is obvious that the damage cannot have been so serious as was 

 supposed, or that what damage there was had been repaired. We have too much faith in 

 the accuracy of the Eeports to suppose that no such losses have occurred ; but we believe 

 that where the stock is healthy the nests contain a larger proportion of eggs, and that a 

 larger proportion of these are fertile, consequently a loss of even 25 per cent, of eggs and 

 chicks might still leave a very satisfactory stock of young birds. Then, again, there is 



