134 APPENDIX H 



(4) The special exemptions of one district from the universal failure might have 



been due to the fact that the frost there was a few degrees less severe than 

 in tlie remainder of the district. 



(5) The only other point which distinguished the exempted area from the remainder 



of the district was that in the spring of 1907 there had been a very severe 

 outbreak of mortality in the exempted area, thus greatly reducing the stocks ; 

 this reduction may have been a reason for their having maintained their 

 health in a bad heather season. The fact that the adult birds in the exempted 

 area maintained their healtli and vigour right through the spring of 1908, 

 whereas in the rest of the district there was considerable mortality, suggests 

 a connection between the health of the parent stock and the success of the 

 breeding; season. 



District 1. Scotland, East (Southerx Half) — Lotiiians, Berwick, rEEBLE.s, 

 Selkirk, and Eoxburgiishike. 



9 Reports. 



In tliis district the frost was not so severe as it was further north, the lowest 

 readings being given as 7°, 7°, 10°, 12°, 13°, 15°, from different centres, yet the damage from 

 frost was reported as serious, more than one-half of the reporters expressing the opinion 

 that eggs had been destroyed by the frost on April 2.3rd and 24th. Five reporters 

 spoke to eggs being split. 



The breeding season was a bad one, the clutches averaged seven in a nest ; but many 

 eggs were left unhatched, and only about four young birds in each covey came to maturity. 

 There were many barren birds. 



Remarks. — The results from this district certainly point to the fact that the eggs 

 were damaged by the frost in April, and this view is strengthened by the statement 

 that in several places second broods, hatched from eggs laid after the frost had gone, 

 did much better than the earlier broods, thus implying that the failure was not due to 

 the condition of the parent stock. Why the frost should have caused more damage here 

 than further north cannot be stated with certainty, but the following solutions have 

 been suggested : (1) That a larger number of eggs had been laid in the nests at the 

 date of the frost than on the later moors further north ; (2) That the eggs that were 

 laid had reached a more advanced stage, and were therefore more susceptible to extremes 

 of temperature ; and (3) That the Grouse in this more southern district were less well 

 acclimatised to severe weather conditions than in the north and north-east of Scotland, 

 and that, therefore, they and their eggs were more seriously afiected by the severe 

 frost than were the stocks accustomed to a more rigorous climate. Tlu're is no evidence 

 to support any of these contentions, and the question must remain one for surmise. 



An interesting case is recorded from Roxburghshire as follows : " 10° of frost will 

 do Grouse eggs no harm ; 17° will split them. I have known a Grouse and Pheasant 

 lay together, the Pheasant had four eggs, the Grouse three. There were 10' of frost, 



