APPENDIX H 133 



were left in the nests. A large number of barren birds were seen, and the coveys were 

 very irregular — in some cases only one or two young birds in a covey. 



Remarks. — The failure of the breeding season seems to have been due to the poor 

 condition of the stock rather than to frost. The heather in 1907 had been bad. 



District 1. Scotland, East (Northern Half) — Moray, Banff, Aberdeen, 



Kincardine, Forfar, Perth. 



39 Keports. 



As in District there were three days' severe frost — the readings being as low a.s 

 4°, 8°, 9°, 10°, 12°, 14°. 



Only five out of thirty-nine correspondents considered that the eggs had been damaged 

 by frost, and these did not write from the places where the frost had been most severe. 

 Seven cases were reported of eggs being split by the frost. 



The number of eggs in each nest was about six and a half, or rather below the 

 average ; a good number of unfertile eggs were left in the nests, probably an average 

 of about one egg in each nest. On August 12th there was an unexpected scarcity 

 of young birds, only an average of three and a half in each covey, which implied 

 heavy mortality amongst the chicks. 



Except in a specially favoured district, when the conditions appear to have been 

 favourable in all respects, every reporter spoke to an exceptional number of barren birds. 



Remarks. — This series of Eeports gives material for much speculation. In view of 

 the exceptional frost in the nesting season the natural tendency was to blame the 

 frost for the failure of the young stock ; but the frost does not seem to have done 

 much harm, and even if every egg left unhatched had owed its destruction to frost it 

 would only have accounted for a loss of one bird in each covey, whereas the actual 

 shortage averaged three in each covey. 



The results would be more striking were it not that in one district from which 

 seven reports were received the results were excellent, the clutches averaged eight ' 

 eggs in each nest, the young birds on the 12th averaged six in each covey, and there 

 were no barren birds. 



It is not easy to account for all the facts observed, but the following suggestions 

 have been offered. 



(1) Apart from the specially favoured district referred to, the breeding season 



was a failure — small clutches, unfertile eggs, many barren birds ; all this 

 would imply that the health of the parent stock was low at the beginning 

 of the nesting season. 



(2) Another view is that the exceptionally cold, frosty weather interrupted breeding 



operations at a critical period, and consequently many birds bred badly, 

 while some did not breed at all. 

 (o) The mortality amongst chicks was not due to the bad health of the parent 

 stock or to the frost, but must have been caused by some infantile disease 

 such as Coccidiosis. 



