262 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



Coccidiosis, and in the majority of districts the stocks were 

 far above the average both in numbers and health. It is, how- 

 ever, interesting to note that on the moors where mortality did 

 occur, it was much more marked in the case of chicks than in 

 the case of mature birds, and in many districts the mortality 

 occurred among the chicks only a most exceptional occurrence, 

 and one which indicated the probability of coccidian infection. 

 An abstract of the whole reports is given in another chapter l 

 and it is sufficient to give here the following summary of the 

 reports for the year 1911 : 



Number of cases where there was no mortality 



either among the old birds or the chicks . 71 

 Number of cases where there was mortality both 

 among the old and young Grouse . .14 



Note. In nearly all cases it was reported 

 that a larger proportion of young birds 

 died than of old birds. 

 Number of cases where there was mortality 



among old birds only . . . .10 



Number of cases where there was mortality 



among young birds only . . . .35 

 Number of cases where observations on this 

 point were unreliable . . . .10 



140 



The majority of the correspondents stated emphatically 

 that the young birds had died of drought, obviously an untenable 

 hypothesis, for if drought had been the cause of death the mor- 

 tality would have been distributed throughout the whole Grouse 

 moors in the country. This was far from being the case, for 

 the majority of the moors, including many badly watered ones, 

 were well stocked with young birds, while mortality was especi- 

 ally severe on some of the best watered ground. One observer 

 drew attention to the fact that whole coveys of chicks were 

 found dead close to the edge of streams and drinking pools. 



1 See p. 302. 



