288 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



ward spring. It is to be expected that the bad heather year 

 will have a bad effect on the stock in 1908, but the fact that the 

 stocks are moderate may go far to save them from serious 

 disaster. 



190826 Reports. 



Weather. The first three months were good with some wet weather 

 in Kintyre ; the nesting season was dry and favourable, but a severe 

 frost was reported universally in the third week of April, ranging from 

 10 to 22 F. according to the district ; a fine summer except September, 

 which was wet ; snow at the end of the year. 



Heather. A good year for growth, but much frosting of heather was 

 reported from Argyllshire ; the bloom was universally excellent, and 

 the seed ripened well throughout. 



Stock. At the beginning of the year the stock was moderate in 

 numbers and healthy. The nesting and hatching seasons were unequal, 

 good in Argyllshire, not so good in Ayr and Lanark, where it was 

 reported that eggs were destroyed by frost ; in some places many 

 young birds disappeared mysteriously in the dry weather, and most of 

 the reporters ascribe this to drought. A good deal of mortality from 

 disease was reported from North Ayrshire, especially on those moors 

 where a large stock had been left. 1 On August 12th the birds were 

 almost universally healthy, but below the average in numbers, and the 

 bags were small. The stocks left at the end of the year were rather 

 below the average and quite healthy. 



Remarks. The general health of the stock was only moderate, 

 but was better than might have been expected considering the 

 poor heather year in 1907. This was probably due to small 

 stocks being left. The reports of heather being frosted in 

 Argyll were probably incorrect, for there was less frost in that 

 county than in any other, and it passed away long before the 

 young growth of heather had made an appearance. The cause 

 of damage was far more likely to have been the heather beetle 

 (Lochmcea suturalis), 2 which did a good deal of harm in this 

 year. With regard to the disappearance of young birds in the 

 dry weather see the remarks on this subject on pp. 299 et seq. 



The good heather year in 1908, combined with the light 

 stocks left at the end of the year, resulted as before in a marked 



1 Vide map, 1908. a Vide chap. xiii. pp. 370 et seq. 



