LOCAL CONDITIONS AND HEALTH OF GROUSE 277 



of climates, altitudes, etc. Nevertheless, the main climatic 

 tendencies in each were approximately uniform, and enabled 

 certain broad generalisations to be made. 



Before examining the records of the separate districts it 

 may be pointed out that this department of the Inquiry com- 

 menced under favourable auspices in respect that the year 1905 

 had been singularly free from " Grouse Disease." In spite of 

 the Committee's endeavours to hear of an outbreak, mortality 

 was only reported from one district in Scotland, and then only 

 in a mild form. 1 In fact 1905 may be regarded as one of the 

 most disease-free years within the memory of the present genera- 

 tion. The stock throughout Scotland, therefore, must have 

 commenced the period under review in a condition of perfect 

 health, and any mortality that occurred in 1906 and the subse- 

 quent two years must have been due to the conditions which 

 prevailed during that period, and could not have been the result 

 of sickness lingering from the previous year. 



Let us now consider what these conditions were. Com- 

 mencing with the North of Scotland we find : 



DISTRICT 0. SCOTLAND, NORTH. 



190622 Reports. 



Weather. In the early months average winter weather inclining to 

 wet and snow ; a fair spring and early summer with a sharp snow- 

 storm in the middle of May ; a dry shooting season ; an open winter 

 with a heavy snowstorm at Christmas. 



Heather. The young heather grew well, there was little damage by 

 frost, the bloom was good but rather late, except in Easter Ross where 



the reports were not so favourable. 







Stock. At the beginning of the year the stock was above the 

 average in numbers and healthy ; the breeding season was unequal ; 

 in the north and south reports were good, but in East Ross and Mid 

 Ross there was destruction of eggs and young by frost, snow, and floods. 

 A few isolated cases of mortality were reported (eleven birds from 

 four Report centres,^of which seven birds came from Easter Ross), 2 

 but nothing amounting to an outbreak. On August 12th the stock 



1 See map, 1906. 2 Ibid. 



