LOCAL CONDITIONS AND HEALTH OF GROUSE 289 



improvement in the health of the birds in 1909 ; only one 

 isolated case of " disease " being reported for that year. 1 



DISTRICT 2A. ENGLAND, NORTH-EAST. 



190611 Reports. 



Weather. A normal year with an unfavourable nesting and hatch- 

 ing season, and a snowstorm in December. 



Heather. No outstanding facts were reported. Autumn-burnt 

 ground made the quickest growth, and the heather grew best where the 

 ground was wet at the time of burning. The bloom and seed were 

 not very good. 



Stock. The year commenced with a good average of healthy birds. 

 The breeding and hatching seasons were disastrous, eggs were destroyed 

 by snow, frost, and floods, and young birds by cold and floods. There 

 were many second broods, yet in some cases eggs bleached quite white 

 with rain hatched out. Only five diseased birds representing two 

 moors were sent to the Committee for examination. The stock in the 

 shooting season was rather below the average, as also were the bags ; 

 but at the end of the year the stock was up to the average and healthy. 



Remarks. An abnormally bad nesting and hatching season, 

 yet the stock was surprisingly good, doubtless owing to the 

 excellent health of the birds. 



190715 Reports. 



Weather. At first normal with a fine March, cold and wet in April 

 and May, better in June and July, August wet, September fine, there- 

 after inclined to wet. 



Heather. The growth was universally bad, much damage being 

 caused by frost, especially to old heather. The bloom was late and 

 poor, and the seed ripened very badly. 



Stock. The reports vary, but on the whole the stocks at the 

 beginning seem to have been rather over the average, and healthy 

 except in the North Tyne district. The nesting season was bad, and 

 the hatching season very bad, owing to frost, hail, wet, and cold ; there 

 were a good many second broods. " Disease " was reported from nine 

 districts, and twenty -two specimens were sent up for examination ; 

 but the outbreak was only severe in the North Tyne area, and the 

 district as a whole was healthy. The stock on August 12th was exactly 



1 Vide map, 1909. 



