CAUSES OF MORTALITY IN THE RED GROUSE 133 



before its death at least a couple of months, judging by appear- 

 ances. That it should have survived at all is extraordinary. 



Three shot pellets were found lodged in the tissues of the 

 neck ; two ribs had been broken on each side, and had firmly 

 united again. There were small caseous masses in the lung, the 

 remains of small localised abscesses which had been caused by 

 the passage of the shot. The pleura were fastened to the ribs 

 by traumatic adhesions ; and as the result apparently of some 

 obstruction or damage to the usual set of veins there was a 

 great enlargement of what are generally quite insignificant 

 veins in the wall of the proventriculus. 



On February 17th, 1908, a cock Grouse of 23 ounces was 

 found dead in Inverness-shire. It was in excellent plumage 

 and condition, and although an abundance of Strongyles was 

 to be found in the caeca there was no redness and no engorge- 

 ment of the villi. 



The cause of death was apparently collision in flight, and the 

 chief damage was that suffered by the heart, which was much 

 enlarged and swollen out to twice its normal size by a great 

 extravasation of blood in the muscular tissue of the walls, 

 both of the auricles and ventricles. The veins running in the 

 wall of the proventriculus were much engorged. The lungs 

 were unhurt, and otherwise the bird was perfectly normal. 



A hen Grouse of about 17 ounces was found on July 23rd, Tumours 



caused 



1909, in Sutherlandshire, sick and unable to flyl She was in by shot 

 very poor condition, and heavily worm-infested. But the chief 

 cause of distress was a very large tumour caused by rupture of 

 the vessels in the inner walls of the gizzard. The gizzard was 

 enormous, and occupied nearly the whole of the abdominal 

 cavity, causing complete compression of most of the intestines 

 intensified by the formation of adhesions due to peritonitis and 

 the stretching of the normal mesenteries over the tumour. 

 The tendinous and tougher portion of the gizzard had retained 

 its normal size and shape, but the fleshy part had become 

 greatly distended. The tough lining membrane was the part 

 which had given way. 



