DISEASES OF GROUSE 117 



been done to death by worms. The symp- 

 toms of ' the ' grouse disease are not readily 

 apparent, especially to the unclinical eye." 

 In seasons 1908 and 1909 mortality among 

 grouse from some sudden and unexplained 

 cause was particularly noticeable ; and 

 again this points to the existence of 

 various kinds of disease and causes of 

 mortality among grouse. Expert opinion 

 now goes the length of differentiating 

 these diseases in the chronic form and the 

 acute form, the distinguishing character- 

 istics of which will be afterwards noticed. 

 Prior to Klein's investigations the 

 pathogeny and obscurities of grouse dis- 

 ease were inquired into and described by 

 Dr.T. Spencer Cobbold,F.R.S., whose con- 

 clusions were embodied in The Grouse Dis- 

 ease published at The Field office in 1873. 

 It seems likely that Dr. CobbokTs conclu- 

 sion that the entozoic parasite Strongylus 

 pergracilis is largely responsible for the 

 grouse epidemic, is likely to hold the 

 field, though the conclusions arrived at 

 by the stronger tribunal now digesting its 



