CAUSES OF MORTALITY IN THE RED GROUSE 157 



ou May 5tli, 1908, was brought for examination as a case of the acute form 

 of " Grouse Disease," by a keeper whose birds were actually at the time dying 

 in large numbers from Strongylosis. But this bird was found upon dissection to 

 have a rent in the abdomen, and a wound from some wire or fence, which had 

 led to extensive internal bleeding. It was undoubtedly a case of accident, though 

 the bird was fully infested with Trichostrongylus, and there was a considerable 

 amount of villous reddening in the cseca. Had the haemorrhage escaped notice, or 

 had the bird been killed by some less obvious accident, it would have taken its 

 place in the list of evidence which supports the belief in the acute and very viru- 

 lent form of " Grouse Disease" which kills birds before they have time to waste. 



(No. 1296.) A cock Grouse of 21 ounces was "watched for ten days" in 

 March 1908. During that time he was flushed regularly every day by 

 the gamekeeper at the same place. But during the last few days he wound 

 could not be flushed "without the help of a dog as he was becoming barbed 



wire, 



every day the weaker " ; so he was shot, and forwarded as a case 

 of " Grouse Disease." This he was, but only to a very slight extent. The real 

 reason why he objected to being flushed regularly every day was because he 

 had retired to a certain retreat to be away from other birds and remain quiet 

 while a wire-fence wound healed. It was found that the wire had torn through 

 the skin of his breast, and had rent the pectoral muscles, which are the muscles of 

 flight. Had he been left alone he would have recovered in a few weeks, and 

 would have rejoined the healthy birds on the higher ground as soon as he was 

 fit to hold his own. This retirement of a sick or damaged Grouse to a place 

 where he can recruit his health in solitude is in accordance with the habit of 

 almost every animal that lives. 



(No. 1604.) A cock Grouse of I7f ounces was found dying in Yorkshire 

 in July 1908 with a bad rent in the flesh of the breast, bleeding freely. It was 

 to some extent also sufi'ering from Strongylosis. 



Two cases of fractured sternum have occurred in Blackgame, forwarded for 

 examination. 



No. 1234 represents a recent fracture of the sternum in a Blackcock. 

 No. 1232 {see Fig. 3) represents almost exactly the same damage re- 

 united, owing to the fact that the Greyhen, in which it occurred, did not 

 die until some months after the accident. The exact method of overriding 

 and union of the broken bone in this example is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 



