"GROUSE DISEASE "COCCIDIOSIS 253 



the condition being that of diarrhoea. In good health the 

 caecal droppings are of firm consistency, and olive-green to 

 brown in colour. When Coccidiosis is slight they become 

 softer and brownish yellow, but in acute cases the excrement is 

 almost fluid and the birds void sulphur-yellow faeces with a 

 heavy foetid odour. As the coccidian parasites cause great 

 destruction of the lining of the intestine, digestive derange- 

 ments are brought about, and consequent on this, malnutrition 

 occurs, and the bird becomes very thin and anaemic. 



The symptoms of Grouse suffering from natural Coccidiosis Symptoms, 

 and those of Grouse, fowl -chicks, and pigeons, in which the 

 disease has been artificially induced, are identical. The symp- 

 toms that have been noted in the case of the birds examined 

 may now be stated. 



Chicks after ingesting coccidian oocysts become far less 

 active in their movements as a rule. The first noticeable feature 

 is the drooping of their wings, and a habit of constantly looking 

 downwards. The birds stand about more than normal birds, 

 and their call is more plaintive. 



While fowl -chicks and pigeons appear to mope, their appetite 

 is increased, and chicks experimentally infected with Coccidiosis 

 eat far more greedily than the control birds. They also drink 

 considerably more. In spite of the increase in the amount of 

 food consumed, the birds rapidly get thinner, the muscles of 

 the breast and legs showing this to a marked degree. Through- 

 out the progress of the disease the growth of the affected birds 

 is much retarded. 



It was necessary to feed infected young pigeons by hand, 

 for even when they reached practically adult life they failed 

 to feed themselves, merely thrusting their heads into the food 

 offered them, without attempting to swallow any of it. 



Several breeds of fowl -chicks were used in experimental 

 Coccidiosis, and each lost weight steadily till death occurred. 

 The loss of weight of one pure bred Leghorn chick was very 

 noticeable. It was first fed with coccidian oocysts when six 

 weeks old. It and its control bird were then of equal weights 



