LOCAL CONDITIONS AND HEALTH OF GROUSE 281 



bags throughout the district were far above the average. Only one 

 case of disease was reported, 1 and at the end of the season the stock was 

 above the average and very healthy. 



Remarks. A first-rate season all round, large stocks, large 

 bags, no sickness, in spite of conditions which were at the time 

 believed to be disastrous. The prospects for 1907 are fairly 

 good ; but there is a danger owing to the large stock left. 



190754 Reports, 



Weather. In the early part of the year the weather was normal, 

 with stormy weather on the hills, snow on the east coast and in Perth- 

 shire, and some frost. The breeding season was generally wet and cold, 

 August was wet, September fine ; the winter was variable and rather 

 open. 



Heather. Over the whole district the heather growth was poor, 

 both young and old ; many reports received of damage by frost, bloom 

 universally late and poor. Seed ripened very badly, and there was 

 little of it ; a very bad heather year. 



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

 average and healthy ; but some weak spots developed later, especially 

 in Perthshire. Over eighty birds were received from thirty-five centres, 

 eight from Moray and Banff, fifteen from the Borders of Aberdeen and 

 Kincardine, five from Forfarshire, and forty-two from Perthshire. 2 

 The breeding season was universally bad owing to wet and cold, 

 especially in Kincardine and Perthshire, where many young were 

 destroyed ; not many second broods except in Perthshire. On the 

 12th the stock in Moray and Banff was far above the average in numbers, 

 Aberdeen above the average, Kincardine and Forfar not so good, 

 Perth poor, being! very patchy with few young birds. The shooting 

 season showed corresponding results, very large bags in Moray and 

 Banff, good bagsln Aberdeen and Kincardine, not so good in Perth. 

 The stock at the" end of the year was healthy throughout, and the 

 numbers left were above the average in the north and normal in the 

 south. 



Remarks. A very bad breeding season and a very bad 

 heather year ; the former might have been expected to affect 

 the stock of young birds equally throughout the district. In 

 actual fact this did not occur, for the birds in the north were 

 not affected by the bad breeding season, whereas in certain 

 districts in the south the shortage of young birds was very 



1 Vide map, 1906. 2 Vide map, 1907. 



