xii INTRODUCTION 



not exceeding 5 a year, and in the majority of cases were guaranteed for a 

 period of three years. On the strength of this response a number of scientific 

 gentlemen were asked to assist in the investigation, and a body of local corre- 

 pondents in different parts of the country was appointed to make observations 

 and to report upon any special local conditions or circumstances affecting Grouse in 

 their respective districts. These local correspondents consisted mainly of resident 

 proprietors, factors, estate agents, and gamekeepers. Great care was taken in their 

 selection, and experience has shown that they have fully justified their appointment. 

 About three hundred correspondents were formally appointed, and many other 

 proprietors and gamekeepers corresponded regularly with the Secretary and with the 

 staff of the Committee whenever occasion arose. The list of local correspondents 

 might easily have been doubled by adding to it the names of those who had shown 

 themselves able and willing to assist the investigation, but unfortunately the funds 

 of the Committee would not admit of such addition. Lists of the Committee, 

 of the staff, and of the local correspondents are given in Appendix A. 



For the instruction of local correspondents and others who wished to be informed 

 of the existing state of knowledge on the subject of " Grouse Disease," and further 

 to indicate the exact points upon which information was required, the Committee 

 drew up an illustrated pamphlet entitled " Notes on the Grouse " ; in this a short 

 summary was given of the life history of the bird, with a description of the typical 

 characteristics of " Grouse Disease " as then recognised. The pamphlet called 

 attention to the many theories which existed on the subject, and indicated the 

 lines upon which the Committee proposed to carry out their investigation. This 

 pamphlet was privately circulated among correspondents and subscribers, but was 

 not offered for sale. 



The scientific experts drew attention to the difficulty of carrying out experiments 

 upon Grouse in a wild state, and accordingly in 1906 the Committee established 

 an observation area in Surrey, where it was soon demonstrated that Grouse could 

 be kept in captivity. The necessary licence was obtained from the Home Office. 

 This observation area has been of the utmost value to the Committee. 



Owing to the necessity of having a constant supply of healthy Grouse for 

 examination in every month of the year, to enable the Committee to collect 

 accurate information on the question of feeding, moulting, and seasonal changes, 

 arrangements were made by members of the Committee and certain local corre- 

 spondents to send to the Field Observer each month of the year a certain number 

 of freshly killed birds. Many hundreds of such birds have been examined, and 



