240 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



during a single year. It will be seen from Chart (D) that whereas 

 no dead cocks were found in January, and very few in February 

 and March, the number in April rose suddenly to over fifty, 

 and in May to over eighty. This was followed by a sudden drop 

 in June to less than ten birds, and from that time forward only 

 occasional specimens were received. The fact that there was 

 no increase in the number of victims in August when the moors 

 once more came under observation, proves conclusively that 

 mortality had practically come to an end by that date. It is 

 probable that the sudden drop in the number of specimens 

 shown for the month of June, would not have been quite so 

 marked were it not for the practice, already mentioned, of 

 avoiding all disturbance of the ground at this critical period. 



On turning to Chart (E) we find that few, if any, sick and 

 pining birds were found in the first three months of the year, 

 "but that in April they begin to be noted, and in May the numbers 

 rise to over fifty ; doubtless the numbers both in April and May 

 might have been larger were it not that at a time when dead 

 birds were to be found correspondents preferred to send them in 

 preference to those which were merely sickly. It must also 

 be remembered that a live bird is more difficult to catch than a 

 dead one, and this fact doubtless accounts for more specimens 

 being procured in May when presumably they had become weak, 

 than in April when they were still strong enough to evade sus- 

 picion and to elude capture. We may assume, therefore, that 

 both in April and May the number of sick birds is very much 

 larger than would appear from the specimens actually sent up 

 for examination ; indeed, we may go so far as to say that the 

 numbers of Grouse that die in an ordinary season is trivial 

 compared to those that are sick and do not die. Once this 

 point is established we have an answer to the question so 

 frequently asked : " When once a Grouse is attacked by disease 

 has he a chance of recovery, or is he doomed to succumb sooner 

 or later ? " A further examination of the evidence furnished by 

 the Charts aids us to an answer. 



Returning, then, to Chart (E) we find that in June and July 



