LOCAL CONDITIONS AND HEALTH OF GROUSE 287 



Remarks. It is difficult to deduce information from the 

 reports owing to the variety of conditions in the district. The 

 mild climate of West Argyllshire is so different from that of 

 Lanark and Dumfries that wet weather in the first-named 

 county may be represented by hard frost in the last two. The 

 season as a whole was good all over, and justifies the view 

 that a good healthy stock will breed a good healthy stock 

 in spite of bad weather in the breeding season. 



190740 Reports. 



Weather. The season as a whole was cold, wet, and cheerless, 

 with frost and snow in the early part of the year. April normal, 

 May and June very wet and cold, July fine. The shooting season was 

 wet, and the end of the year wet and cold. 



Heather. A poor heather year ; growth was moderate, but the 

 bloom was late and poor, and the seed ripened badly. 



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

 the average and healthy. The nesting season was bad, and the hatch- 

 ing season very bad. Many losses of nests and much drowning of 

 chicks was reported, and in some districts there were many second 

 broods. 



Mortality from " disease " was reported in April and May from 

 many places throughout the district, 1 but though general it nowhere 

 assumed the importance of a serious outbreak, and by August 12th 

 the birds had practically recovered their health. The stocks on the 

 12th were mostly below the average, and bags were poor with one or 

 two striking exceptions, especially in Lanarkshire where stocks were 

 good. The stocks at the end of the season rather below the average 

 and quite healthy. 



Remarks. A cold, wet season, a bad heather year, much 

 mortality in nesting season resulting in small bags, some losses 

 from disease. Here, again, we find losses in the nesting season 

 owing to exceptionally bad weather ; but the results were not 

 so bad as might have been expected, and in some cases the 

 bags were good in spite of adverse circumstances. As a rule, 

 it was found that the nesting results were worst on those moors 

 where birds were unhealthy. The reason for the birds being 

 unhealthy cannot be stated with certainty, but was probably 

 connected with delay of the young growth owing to the back- 



1 Fide map, 1907. 



