128 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



not laying, and the ovaries were very small, dark, and wholly undeveloped. 

 The other not only showed no development of the ovaries, but was still 

 almost entirely in the winter plumage, having had no strength to grow the 

 nuptial one. Such birds are always wretchedly thin, and these weighed 

 15 ounces and 16 ounces respectively. 



We found many cases which showed that in the hen the plumage change must 

 come first, for it often happens that (e.g., Nos. 1864 and 1870) the breeding 

 plumage is complete and excellent, even in wasted birds of 13 J ounces and 

 14 ounces, whereas their ovaries are as undeveloped as in mid-winter. 



The suggestion that such weakly hens may achieve a nuptial plumage by 

 a re-arrangement of the pigment in their feathers without undergoing the 

 drain required by new growth, cannot be adopted. 



This difference between the male and the female Grouse is significant. 



It seems that, in the male, appearance may be sacrificed to efficiency, 



between* wnereas i n tne female appearance comes first, and the nuptial plumage 



plumage j s (j onne d at any cost, often to the undoing of the hen herself, at 



changes in 



cock and an y ra ^ e to the complete undoing of her power to produce an egg. 



There must, of course, be many sickly hens that not only don 

 the breeding dress but also lay a modicum of eggs. They appear later in 

 the shooting season with every sign of disease and exhaustion upon them, 

 but yet recovering. 



Grouse that have survived the mortality of April and of May do not die 

 later in the year. They become convalescent through the summer and autumn, 

 owing to good food and better weather. There is no autumnal, mortal 

 Grouse in outbreak of disease ; but there is an increased activity in the collection 

 'ooa- of birds that have been sick and are convalescent. These birds can fly, 



and are shot in August and September ; it is only when they are dis- 

 covered in the bag, in the process of sorting later in the day, that they are 

 suspected of disease, and are forwarded to the Committee for examination. 



Such birds are not at the point of death, but are, in fact, convalescent. 

 They are not the birds that will be killed off necessarily in the coming 

 winter, but may perhaps be still weaklings in the following spring. They 

 are the birds that in the previous spring were badly hit by Strongylosis, but 

 managed to survive April and May, and then were safe with a supply of good 

 and varied food assured to them for at least eight months to come. 1 



1 Vide chap. iv. p. 72. 



