126 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



The spleen of the Grouse varies very much in size, and this fact appears 



to have some connection with Strongylosis. It is comparatively large in young 



and healthy birds, and is large, as a rule, and of a fresh, red colour 



oplGCUi 



in healthy adult birds ; bub in cases of Strongylosis it becomes very 

 small and very dark, an appearance which is noticeable in fresh, dead cases 

 of disease, and even more noticeable as post-mortem changes advance. 



The colour of the kidney in a freshly killed healthy bird is a reddish brown, 

 a good deal paler than the colour of the liver. Normally the lobes of the 



kidney lie very flat against the dorsal wall of the abdomen, fitting 



into the inequalities of the skeleton. Fig. 9 of PI. xxxi. gives a 

 rough sketch of the appearance of a normal healthy kidney as it lies in situ, 

 with the testes overlying the upper lobe, one on each side. 



The kidneys appear to suffer very little either from the general congestion 

 which must be considered a symptom in Strongylosis or from their function 



in ridding the body of poisons which are probably to be found in 



Kidney 



disease the general circulation. Only twice has the kidney shown any 

 macroscopic change, and in each case it was due to an enlargement 

 which in Grouse 1292 affected every lobe, but in No. 1107 chiefly the 

 upper lobe. 



Case No. 1292 was a hen Grouse of 18 ounces found sick, and caught alive 

 on 6th March 1908 in Yorkshire. 



It was a very thin bird, and in very poor feather ; it had Blaeberry shoots 

 in the crop, no tapeworms in the duodenum or small intestine, but some 

 Strongyles in the cseca, which were full of a dark greenish black slimy mess, 

 like that which generally occupies the cseca of Blackgame, the result 

 probably of a low ground diet of soft green leaves of clover, grass, and 

 Tormentilla. 



The liver was exceedingly dark, but not enlarged and with no spots. The 

 spleen was small (9 mm. long) and black. The kidneys were much swollen, 

 and were brown with black markings, in spots ; but this colouring may have 

 been due to post-mortem change. 



Case No. 1107 appeared to be the result of acute inflammation, the upper 

 lobe being exceedingly swollen and enlarged, and of a rich red colour (see 

 Plate XXXI., Fig. 10). In this case it will be seen that the testes have been 

 slightly displaced from their normal position owing to the swelling of the 

 kidney. 



