GROUSE IN CAPTIVITY 489 



Attention may be drawn to one very important point. It would naturally 

 be thought, that, because the climate of Surrey is warmer than that of the 

 northern parts of the British Isles, where Grouse live in a state of Nature, 

 the Grouse on the experimental area would nest earlier than the wild L^jg 

 birds. The exact opposite is the rule ; every year it has been noticed "e'^'mg. 

 that the Surrey birds lay and hatch later than Grouse in their natural state. 

 There are several reasons to account for this. In the first place, under the 

 conditions existing on the experimental area the birds are artificially and not 

 naturally mated, and this alone may account for late nesting. It is possible, 

 and very probable, that more extended experiments on mating hand-reared 

 Grouse, in the same manner that Partridges are mated in captivity, might 

 lead to earlier nesting ; but it has not been possible to make this experiment 

 on the Observation Area. Again the necessity of the constant appearance of 

 the keeper at different times may make the hen more shy of nesting, and 

 the small dimensions of the coops, keeping the two birds always together, 

 certainly is not conducive to privacy for the hen. So that those who try to keep 

 Grouse and rear them on the lines adopted at the experimental area, must 

 not be disappointed at getting late eggs. But, on the other hand, the results 

 obtained on the Surrey area show that it is within the bounds of possibility 

 to keep Grouse in captivity, and to rear from them in such a manner as to 

 enable owners of Grouse moors to replenish by reared birds any loss their 

 moors may have sustained from excessive mortality in a very bad season. 

 Experience shows that it is better to allow the hen Grouse to hatch her 

 own eggs, and not to place them under foster-mothers unless a supply of 

 bantams could be obtained. 



Results of the Experiments. 



In 1906 two birds were left. 



In 1907 by chance four chicks were hatched. 



In 1908 tried hatching under foster - mothers and lost fifty - seven 

 chickens and eggs ; but reared ten late birds under Grouse mothers. 



In 1909 left the Grouse to hatch their own eggs ; a thunderstorm 

 spoilt most of the nests — only eleven birds were reared. 



In 1910, at Frimley Sanatorium, all eggs under foster-mothers hatched, but 

 the chickens were killed by the hens ; probably bantams would be preferable 



