72 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



while the stems of the heather are so short and stiff that they are little 

 affected by the wind. If this type of heather is examined, it will be found 

 that immediately below the weathered canopy there is a rich growth of bright 

 green shoots even in the most severe winter [see PI. xxiii., Fig. 2). 



There is no doubt that it is on the moors which have a large proportion 

 of this short, close-growing heather that the largest stock of birds can be 

 carried over the winter. But it is only on a special class of ground that 

 this type of heather is found to grow naturally ; it is usually associated with 

 dry, hard soil, good natural drainage, a rocky subsoil, and only a shallow layer 

 of peat on the surface ; it is uncommon in districts with a heavy rainfall. 



Even on the best ground there is a tendency for the heather to grow too 

 long and bushy ; but this tendency can fortunately be controlled by artificial 

 Heather means. In another part of this Report the subject of heather burning 

 culture. jg fully described,* and it is only necessary here to state that, for 

 purposes of food, heather ceases to have any value after it has been allowed 

 to become rank. 



With the advent of May comes a great change in the condition of the 

 heather plant. In this month every twig breaks out into green shoots, 

 even the oldest and most ragged stick heather will produce young 

 growth in growth of thc kind most valuable as food for Grouse ; but it is 

 now too late for this tardy recovery to be profitable, for the days 

 of famine are past, and there is sufiicient food to feed ten times as many 

 birds as there are upon the ground. Even in this month of plenty, however, the 

 close, short heather of from 4 to 8 inches in height is superior to the straggly 

 forest of overgrown plants, for there is a,n ever present risk of a late spring frost, 

 when the tender young shoots will require all the shelter they can get. 



The appearance of the young growth is marked by an immediate change 

 in the diet of the Grouse. On referring again to Table III., it will be seen 

 that the consumption of fresh green heather shoots rises suddenly to 69^^ 

 per cent, while that of the dry winter heather drops to 12 per cent. At 

 the same time the proportion of miscellaneous foods is moi-e than doubled, 

 owing doubtless to the fact that every moorland plant is throwing off its 

 winter sleep and bursting into appetising young buds. 



Just as the first flush of early pasture is more nourishing than the later 

 growth, the first heather shoots of spring probably contain a larger percentage 



' Vide chap, xviii. pp. 392 et seq. 



