160 



THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



hawthorn berries. This bird had a deep wound in the breast, from an accident 

 which had broken the lower end of the sternum. The damage was undoubtedly 

 the result of collision with a fence, or something of the kind. It was exactly 

 comparable to that in the Greyhen, No. 2, but more severe, so that the bird died 

 shortly after the accident. No sign of disease was discovered. 



(No. 5.) A Blackcock, weighing 39 ounces, was found dead in good condition 

 on November 4th. No food in any part of the gut. This bird had its back 

 broken, and the bone splinters had torn the lungs and the smaller air-passages, 

 so that they gradually filled with blood. The hinder part of the bird's body 

 and its legs must have been paralysed, so that it could not search for food, 



.Fibrous Union. 



Fig. 6. Showing method of union of broken breastbone. 



and the drowning of the bird in its own blood took so long to kill it that all 

 the food eaten before the accident was digested, and the remains passed. The 

 whole body was full of venous blood, showing that twelve or twenty-four hours 

 may have elapsed between the accident and the bird's death, which was due 

 again almost certainly to collision with a fence. Once more there was no 

 sign of disease. 



(No. 6.) A Greyhen, weighing 31 ounces, was found dead on November 4th 

 in good condition ; again the back was broken, but this time lower down at 

 the level of the last rib instead of at the fifth rib as in No. 5. The left lung 

 was compressed and rendered absolutely useless by a large blood-clot which had 

 collected in the thorax owing to internal damage caused by the splintered bone. 

 This bird had evidently lived for some hours after the accident, and had 



