THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE GROUSE 9 



coming off altogether, no doubt from the friction of the feathers of the bird when 

 sitting. If the weather is wet when the bird begins to sit this is much more the 

 case. When the colour has once become thoroughly dry it will bear washing 

 in water without injury." 1 In his most recent work Mr Dresser adds : " When 

 blown and kept for some time, the ground colour fades to buffy white, and the 

 spots and blotches darken in some cases to blackest brown. Those in (Mr 

 Dresser's) collection measure from 1'60 by T14 to T82 by 1'32 inches. 

 Mr Jourdain gives the average measurement of thirty-six eggs as 45 "56 by 

 31'8 mm., and the average weight of eight eggs as 1'845 g." ! 



There is no truth in the belief that disease will follow if the eggs are not 

 well coloured. Very often the uncoloured part of the egg whitens at the 

 same time as the coloured part fades or is washed off, thus making an egg of 

 "bad colour." 



It is interesting to note that a bird of five years old lays fewer eggs and 

 of a smaller size than a bird of one or two years old. 



The net yield of the nesting season greatly depends upon the weather in 

 spring ; frost before sitting, snow after hatching, heavy rain following a 

 drought when the birds have nested in low-lying ground liable to 



- 



submersion, are some of the principal dangers to which early broods are of bad 



weather on 



exposed. The eggs also may be lost by a long spell of wet weather, eggs and 

 even up to the point of hatching. This is probably not a matter of 

 common occurrence, but in the spring of 1906 the Committee's field observer 

 saw nest after nest deserted owing to rain. The nests on the low ground 

 fared worst ; in some the eggs did not hatch at all, in others only one half, 

 or even fewer, were productive. 



The parent birds seem to defy the elements at all times, and 

 during the period of incubation the hen will continue to sit upon her eggs 

 apparently oblivious of the fact that a snowstorm is raging which has Nesting in 

 driven every other living creature off the moor. During such a storm snow - 

 hens are completely covered with snow as they sit upon the nest, for in hard 

 weather instinct teaches them not to desert the post of duty. Observation of 

 the bird at these times is difficult, for even the most enthusiastic naturalist is 

 not often tempted to explore the higher ranges of the ground in the face of a 

 blinding blizzard. We must to some extent form our conclusions by observation 



at the 



