CAUSES OF MORTALITY IN THE RED GROUSE 161 



previously been feeding on corn. There was no sign of disease, and every 

 reason to suspect collision with a fence as the cause of the accident. 



Obviously this series of deaths was not due to an epidemic of disease, though 

 it is difficult to understand why so many birds should have collided with fences in 

 the same locality, where no new wires or other obstructions had been recently 

 erected. The gamekeeper's view at first was that they all had disease, and out- 

 ward appearances to some extent supported him. Later on, however, the Black- 

 game began to leave the valley where they had been feeding on corn, and where 

 the accidents occurred, and once more took to the moors. The keeper reported 

 that the Blackgame on the moors were quite healthy, and continued : " I have 

 been among Blackgame and Grouse for over forty years, and I never saw Black- 

 game affected the same way. If eating green oats is killing them, they have 

 eaten them for over forty years and were not a whit the worse. I have known 

 Blackgame eat oats from September to December, and not a single bird die 

 from it. What puzzles me is why they are not dying in the next valley 

 (3 miles off). When the Blackgame light on the ground they tumble on their 

 heads. If there is a fence hard by they sometimes fly into it. I have seen 

 many birds (recently) showing the same symptoms." 



All this suggests some form of intoxication, and it is just possible that the 

 sodden and half-rotten grain eaten by the birds might produce sufficient alcohol 

 by fermenting in the warmer process of digestion, to act upon them in this 

 way. There is, of course, also the possibility that grain soaked in spirit had 

 been purposely put down, but in this case it was improbable. 



It was certain, at any rate, that the epidemic was an epidemic of accidents and 

 not of disease, however suggestive appearances may have been to the contrary. 



(No. 1627.) A cock Grouse of 21 ounces was caught and killed, July 1908, 

 in Argyllshire. There was very great dilatation of the crop, which was filled 

 with an old blood-clot and with heather, the crop contents had been Damage to 

 there for a long while, and had become dry and mildewed. There were ^Ti^^d 

 two or three cicatrised wounds through the skin and crop ; but these '""'''• 

 were all closed except one, which remained open and suppurating. The passage 

 to the oesophagus downwards was free, and the bird might possibly have 

 recovered in time. The crop was adherent everywhere to the subcutaneous 

 tissues, and so to the skin. And there were numerous enlarged blood-vessels 

 wandering both over the crop wall and also in the adhesions as the result of 



VOL. I. L 



