282 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



serious. The reason for the shortage was obviously bad health 

 rather than bad weather, for in those parts of Perthshire where 

 the stock was healthy, the bags were good in spite of the bad 

 breeding season. There does not appear to be any reason why 

 the stocks should have been more healthy in the north than in 

 the south. The prospects for 1908 are not good ; 1907 having 

 been a bad heather year, the danger will be greatest in the 

 north owing to the large stocks left. 



190847 Reports. 



Weather. A fine open January and February, March cold and 

 stormy with wet and frost in places, April very wintry with hard frosts 

 at the end of the month and in the beginning of May (17, 16, and 18 

 F.), May, June, and July universally fine, dry and warm, August 

 dry, September wet, followed by fine weather with a snow storm in 

 December. 



Heather. The growth was excellent ; on one moor in Perthshire 

 birds were reported to be feeding on ground burned this spring. The 

 growth was checked temporarily by the frosts in April and May ; 

 but the bloom was exceptionally good and early, and the seed ripened 

 well all over the district ; a first-rate heather year. 



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

 in numbers, but in one or two places it was reported not very healthy. 

 The breeding season was disappointing considering the favourable 

 hatching weather, the nests were very badly filled, and a mysterious 

 disappearance of chicks was reported from many districts. A good 

 deal of disease was reported, especially from Moray, Banff, and 

 Aberdeen, 1 where the large stock had been left from 1907. On the 

 other hand, from one district which had been swept by disease in 1907 

 the reports were excellent well-filled nests, plenty of young birds, no 

 disease. On August 12th the stocks were reported unequal, but the 

 majority were below the average in numbers, and in many cases birds 

 were reported still sickly ; afterwards the stock recovered, and at the 

 end of the year was reported to be a fair average in numbers and very 

 healthy. 



Remarks. This season offers an opportunity for considerable 

 speculation ; very cold weather in the mating season, frost in 

 the nesting season, magnificent weather in the hatching season, 

 and a fine warm summer. Why were the results so bad ? Many 



1 Vide map, 1908. 



