280 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



The mortality might have assumed much larger proportions 

 but for the timely advent of fine weather and a luxuriant 

 growth of heather, consequently the^ stock was not seriously 

 affected, and had quite regained its health by the end of 

 the year. 



The series of Reports comes to an end with the year 1908, 

 but we may be permitted to glance at the map for 1909 1 to 

 see whether the fine heather growth of 1908 has had the bene- 

 ficial effect upon the following season that might have been 

 expected. The result comes up to our expectations, for we 

 find that, throughout the whole district which in 1908 had 

 been filled with piners and sickly birds, there has not been a 

 single case of disease except in those districts lying between 

 Badenoch and Loch Ness where we anticipated some mortality 

 on account of the large overstock left from 1908. 



DISTRICT 1. SCOTLAND EAST (NORTHERN HALF). 



190625 Reports. 



Weather. For the early parts of the year the Reports vary. Near 

 the coast the weather was rather open, inland it was much colder with 

 snow in Perthshire. In May there was a very severe snowstorm in the 

 north-east, particularly in the high ground of Aberdeenshire. In 

 Perthshire May was wet, cold, and frosty. The weather in the shooting 

 season was good, though in some places August was wet. After that 

 the weather was normal till Christmas, when there was a severe 

 snowstorm. 



Heather. Young heather grew fairly well ; but in this district it 

 grows very slowly after burning. Several reporters express favourable 

 views on the effect of autumn burning ; the bloom was late but good, 

 and the seed ripened well throughout the district. 



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

 average and healthy. The breeding season was reported to be very 

 bad with good nesting but bad hatching weather ; much damage 

 reported from snow and frost in May. Owners were in despair at the 

 bad breeding season, and in some cases, especially in Aberdeenshire, 

 even cancelled their arrangements for shooting their ground. Yet on 

 the 12th the stock was universally good and fairly healthy, and the 



1 Vide map, 1909. 



