102 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



examine the contents of their crops and gizzards, with a view of 

 ascertaining both the nature of their food, and also, if possible, 

 the intermediate host (supposed to be some insect or mollusc) 

 of the Cestode parasites which infest these birds. 



(2) To identify exactly the various fragments found in the 

 crop, proventriculus, and gizzard of Grouse by the careful 

 collecting of insects on the feeding grounds of the young birds. 

 In many cases the remains in the crop or intestine were so broken 

 up and crushed that it was only possible to determine and name 

 them after careful comparison with whole specimens obtained 

 on the same spot. 1 



(3) To collect and put into spirit large numbers of insects 

 and spiders for the purpose of dissection and microscopic 

 examination for possible cysts of tapeworms. 



The birds were captured by hand and immediately killed 

 by chloroform, dissected the same day, and their crops and 

 gizzards transferred to methylated spirit. The contents of 

 both crops and gizzards were afterwards examined, and the 

 fragments carefully compared with whole pinned insects obtained 

 on the same ground as the chicks. A detailed list of the contents 

 of the crops and gizzards of the chicks was published in the 

 Final Report of the Committee.' 2 



The list of insects collected was most interesting, and 

 included many rare species. Most of the specimens were 

 collected on the actual feeding grounds of the young Grouse, 

 and the list is therefore useful as showing the variety of diet 

 possible during the first few weeks of the chick's life. 



On a typical Grouse moor by far the greatest variety of 

 insect-life is found in the marshy ground around the sources 

 of the streams. Diptera largely preponderate, but small 

 Tineid Moths, May-flies, Stone-flies, and Spiders are also plenti- 

 ful. On the higher and drier ground many other insects were 



1 A complete list of the insects obtained on the moors during the course of this 

 Inquiry has been published in the " Annala of Scottish Natural History," pp. 150- 

 162, July 1910. 



2 " The Grouse in Health and in Disease," vol. ii. pp. 86-90. 



