LOCAL CONDITIONS AND HEALTH OF GROUSE 301 



before. From this it would appear that severe drought 

 is not in itself an unfavourable condition to the health 

 of Grouse, and this is quite in accordance with previous 

 observations. 



On the other hand, in certain clearly defined areas there 

 was an abnormally large mortality among the young stock, 

 far larger than had ever been observed before. From the 

 difficulty of obtaining specimens for examination it cannot be 

 stated with absolute certainty that in every case the cause of 

 this mortality was Coccidiosis, but the suspicion that this disease 

 was responsible was so strongly confirmed that it now almost 

 amounts to a certainty. Every specimen examined was severely 

 infected with the Coccidium, and no other cause of mortality 

 could be discovered which applied to the affected districts and 

 not to the healthy districts. From this it may be deduced that 

 where the Coccidium infection exists dry warmth is favourable 

 to its development. This also is quite in accordance with 

 previous observations, and especially with the results of labora- 

 tory experiments. 



The reports contained such interesting information that 

 it may be permitted to give in tabular form a brief 

 summary of the principal facts brought out. No apology 

 is needed for mentioning the names of the districts affected, 

 for they are already only too well known, and the fact 

 that mortality has occurred in a particular district in 

 one year does not denote that it will be subject to disease 

 in future years ; indeed, the reverse is usually found to be 

 the case. 



The following table is the more interesting in view of the 

 fact that the stock of Grouse left at the end of 1910 was, without 

 exception, healthy and vigorous. Thus every district com- 

 menced the nesting season of 1911 on equal terms. 



[TABLE 



