92 APPENDIX F 



The amount of csecal dejecta, i.e., the softer pasty matter which is passed 



from the caecum directly after the harder dropping, varied considerably from 



Cascal day to day. As a rule, the health of the bird was obviously better 



when the csecal dejecta was very abundant. When a bird was sick 



and moping, the csecal dejecta was often greatly reduced in quantity. 



(1). EXPERIMENTS ON GRITS. 



One of the objects of the experiments was to learn something of the method 

 of passage and the use of the grits which are normally in the gizzard of the 

 Grouse. 



On 17th October two healthy Grouse cocks A and B were enclosed 

 Grit star- separately in wire runs with boarded floors, and were given no stony 



vation. grits 



On the tenth day of grit starvation both birds were given the 

 Effects of opportunity of eating ripe and half-ripe blackberries, as only two or 



different . J , , 



diets. three grits per day were being passed. It was thought that the 



hard pip of the blackberries might increase the rate of loss of the stony 

 Black- grit, as it often appears to do in wild birds (see chapter iv. pp. 98-99). 

 The opportunity was continued for five days, but neither of the 

 birds would eat the berries. 



As the birds were being fed on dari, a search was made to discover 

 whether any whole seeds were passed unbroken suggesting the want of stony 

 Dari r ^ to break them. But no unbroken seeds were found, so it was 



safe to conclude that at this, the twelfth day of grit starvation, 

 sufficient grit remained in. the gizzard to grind up the seed. The pieces of 

 rice and dari in the dejecta were always small and hard, but not powdered, 

 and probably a good deal passed thus undigested. The heather seemed to 

 be sufficiently broken up and digested even after twelve days of abstinence 

 from grit. 



The droppings of both birds were at this time formed always of well- 

 teased heather fibres, and rice and grain remnants. No whole grains were 

 passed, and when castor oil was administered there was no increased loss 

 of stony grits. 



The question then arose as to the amount of grit remaining to deal with 

 the food which was being eaten. It seemed probable that the larger pieces 

 of grit were being retained, and were sufficient for a certain definite and 



