APPENDIX F. 



EXPERIMENTS MADE UPON HAND-REARED GROUSE. 



By Edward A. Wilson. 



THE experiments of which an account is to be given in this chapter were 

 conducted at St Catherine's, Frimley, where, upon a tract of heather, observa- 

 the Committee had reared a considerable number of tame Grouse. 1 



A stage in the Inquiry had been reached, at which it became imperative to 

 practically demonstrate the cause of " Grouse Disease." For this Artificial 

 purpose certain healthy birds were infected. Care was taken to infect mfe< 

 the smallest number necessary for the success of the experiment. 



The attempt to infect hand-reared Grouse with " Grouse Disease " by con- 

 taminating their food and water with the larvae of the Trichostrongylus 

 pergracilis was for some time unsuccessful ; but as it led to a far Experi- 

 more complete knowledge of the life history of the nematode "rst^nsuc- 

 in question, and of the manner of its admission to the Grouse, the C( 

 initial failure, which lasted over a period of some months, ultimately con- 

 tributed to the final success. 



The Grouse, twelve in number, were from one to two or three years old, 

 and all of them had been hand reared, either from the eggs of Birds sub- 

 wild birds picked up on the Grouse moor, or from eggs laid in ixperi- 

 captivity at Frimley. ment 



For the purpose of the experiments, it was necessary to arrange a smooth 

 flooring to the coops or runs in which the birds were confined, so that the 

 collection of every portion of the dejecta was made possible. The Fi oor i n j, f 

 board floors were built with care, and made smooth and close-fitting CO P S - 

 to the run. There was thus no possibility of losing any part of the droppings, 

 and the floor was left clean after each observation. 



1 Vide chap. xxii. p. 483. 



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