64 



THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



feather of the wing at its distal end. If blood can be squeezed from the quill 

 ■^ing it is considered as a sign that the bird is of the year. If no blood can 



feathers. -^^ Squeezed, and the feather is old and dry, it is considered as a 

 sign that the bird is more than a year old. 



t\ 



i 



OatjSoUb. 



i%0 I]a.ij% old. 



Diagrammatic Representation of the Growth of Primaries in the Young Gronse. 



This reasoning is based upon the following facts : When the chick produces 

 its first set of primary wing feathers they are all very thin and weak, and soon 

 become frayed out ; they have rather narrow pointed ends, arc blackish-brown, in 

 colour mottled with incomplete buff bars. Nine of these little feathers can be 



