452 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



In 1906 very few Grouse were received, and at the end of 

 that season only four birds were left ; of these two were 

 unfortunately killed by a fox, leaving two, a cock and a 

 hen, which were in different coops, the hen having been 

 used for a simple experiment. In 1907 the hen began to 

 lay, and laid ten eggs. Then the keeper put the cock into 

 her coop, and she laid nine more eggs, but at longer intervals 

 between each egg ; out of these nine eggs she hatched 

 four chickens. The remaining eggs were fertile, but after 

 the first four were hatched she became restless and left 

 the other eggs. Of the four chickens hatched two escaped, 

 and the other two grew up to be about three months old, 

 when they died. 



During the year 1907, thanks to the exertions of those 

 correspondents who kindly supplied the Committee with hand- 

 reared Grouse, far more birds were sent to the Observation 

 Area, and owing to the fact that there was no outbreak of 

 " Grouse Disease " that year, and that no birds were required 

 for experimental purposes by the scientific staff, the Committee 

 had in February 1908 twenty-seven healthy birds ; of these 

 two were the old birds received in 1906. The remaining 

 twenty-five birds consisted of eleven hens and fourteen cocks. 

 Owing to the cock birds fighting, three were killed during the 

 spring, but precautions were afterwards taken to prevent 

 deaths from this cause. The stock had now increased to twelve 

 pairs of birds, so it became necessary to increase the number 

 of coops. Six more large ones were added, and six smaller 

 ones, which have proved very useful for the segregation of the 

 birds during the mating season, and also when the hens began 

 to sit, for it has been noticed that when Grouse are confined 

 in coops the cocks will not leave the hens alone on the nests, 

 but are always driving them about ; as soon, therefore, as the 

 hens commence to sit, it is necessary to take the cocks away 

 and keep them in coops by themselves. This year then the 

 Committee had twelve pairs of birds. The hens laid very 

 well, and the experiment was tried of taking the early eggs and 



