"GROUSE DISEASE " STRONGYLOSIS 217 



and congestion on a large scale if multiplied a sufficient number 

 of times. 



Apart from the appearances in the caecum there are several ^ s ? * 

 other indications of this form of disease. The most reliable, 

 and certainly the most easily recognised, is that of loss of flesh 

 and weight. 



It is for this reason that the average weight of the birds on 

 a moor is the best indication of the prospect of health or disease 

 in the near future. 



The tradition, for it is probably no more than a tradition, 

 that in some outbreaks of " Grouse Disease " birds have been 

 found dying or dead in plump condition and of normal weight, 

 is discussed elsewhere. No such case has been observed during 

 the course of the recent Inquiry. Grouse do not die of Stron- 

 gylosis without loss of weight, and the reason is not far to seek 

 when an infected bird is dissected. 



Strongylosis does not appear to have a very marked effect 

 upon the temperature. The average body temperature of a 

 Grouse in full health is 106 '42 F., but when suffering from 

 Strongylosis this temperature tends to fall. The average 

 temperature of birds infected with Strongylosis was found to 

 be about 105*07 F., but the number of cases observed was not 

 large, and the question requires fuller investigation. 



In view of the opinion expressed by Professor Klein and 

 others that " Grouse Disease " is due to an infection with 

 bacteria, more especially with bacilli of the' " coli " group, 

 the Committee made careful observations as to the relation 

 between Bacillus coli in the organs and Strongyles in the caeca. 

 At an early stage of the Inquiry it seemed probable that some 

 such relation existed, for in birds reared in captivity, and thus 

 kept entirely free of Strongyles, the organs contained no bacilli 

 of the coli type (one exception). On the other hand, in the 

 organs of Grouse with very large numbers of Strongyles, 

 Bacillus coli was constantly present, either in the liver 

 or some other organ. In other Grouse with fewer Strongyles, 

 Bacillus coli was present in some and appeared to be 



