88 Grouse Disease. [Sess. 



ciated birds by stro%rjylus fCTgracdus ; but in view of both being 

 found in healthy birds from Eoss-shire, where disease has not 

 been seen for years, we are forced to the conclusion that they 

 are the natural parasite of the grouse. Why, then, should they 

 cause death? Simply by a lowering of the vitality by some 

 occult cause : the birds become weakened, the tone of their 

 digestive organs and intestines lowered, and the internal action 

 of the organisms is finally arrested. In such circumstances, it 

 is apparent that increased mortality is inevitable. Looking back 

 upon these investigations, it is a significant fact that it is only 

 in connection with the digestive organs that any departure is 

 found from the condition of health, and in this respect the 

 grouse disease clearly shows its affinity to those diseases for- 

 merly referred to. 



What can be done for the preservation of the grouse from 

 this subtle distemper, is the question which presses itself upon 

 the attention of all sportsmen and naturalists. While it may 

 be impossible altogether to avert the malady, I feel sanguine 

 that it might be modified. By a change of stock all over the 

 country, there is no doubt that the general health of the birds 

 would be vastly improved, and one of those forces in nature — 

 viz., close breeding, which invariably tends to the deterioration 

 of the species, would be counteracted, and an impulse given 

 to the healthy and vigorous development of the stock. Were 

 keepers to attend to this by a fair exchange of eggs and young 

 birds from one district of the country to another at a consider- 

 able distance, I feel assured they would be amply repaid. This 

 suggestion is no merely speculative proposal. It is an experi- 

 ment which has been repeatedly acted upon by the Duke of 

 Hamilton in transferring grouse from his Lanarkshire moors to 

 the Island of Arran, with the best possible results. 



At this meeting Mr A. Frazer, M.A., read a short communi- 

 cation from ]Mr John TurnbuU, Galashiels, describing his 

 process of taking photo-micrographs. It was explained that 

 Mr Turnbull's apparatus consisted only of his microscope and 

 a packing-case, and that by these appliances he was able to 

 produce excellent photo-micrographs. Some specimens of Mr 

 Tiirubull's work were exhibited, and were much admired by 

 the members present. 



