viii PREFACE 



highly infectious and fatal disease of fowls — fowl 

 enteritis, which was at first believed to be fowl 

 cholera, to which it bears a certain resemblance, 

 but from which it materially differs, not so much 

 as to its mortality and high degree of infectiousness, 

 but in respect to its pathology and causation. In 

 order to show these differences I have prefaced the 

 chapters on fowl enteritis with a short chapter on 

 fowl cholera. The first material of fowl enteritis 

 on which I worked was placed at my disposal by 

 Mr. W. Cook of Orpington, the well-known author 

 on, and successful breeder of poultry, through the 

 intervention of Mr. C. Wellington ; both these 

 gentlemen, notably Mr. Cook, have rendered me 

 invaluable service, for which I beg to return them 

 my best thanks. 



The third disease, about which I intend to make 

 a few remarks, is the infectious disease of young 

 pheasants known to pheasant - breeders as "the 

 cramps." While engaged in Ayrshire for the Field, 

 in the summer of 1887, in inquiring into the 

 pathology and etiology of the grouse disease, I 

 had the opportunity of studying the cramps at 

 Blairquhan, and to the keeper there, Mr, Douglas, 

 my thanks are due for supplying me then and after- 

 wards with materials both as livino- and dead 

 specimens. 



