234 SHOOTING THE GROUSE 



in 1874 or thereabouts, on the late Sir Charles 

 Forbes's moors at Dalradample, in Aberdeenshire, 

 we were all taking refuge on a wet stormy day in one 

 of the butts for luncheon. I sat on a seat in the 

 corner, made of sods cut from the moor, and when I 

 rose, found on my mackintosh and on the sod under 

 me a quantity of small thread-like worms, answering 

 exactly to Dr. Cobbold's description of the Strongylus. 

 On examination, I found many others under where 

 others of the party were lying or sitting, as though 

 the warmth of their bodies had drawn these creatures 

 to the surface. The particular growth they were in 

 was not heather, but the coarse grass, reddish at the 

 tips, so common on the moors and rough hill pas- 

 tures. I put several of them carefully into a bottle 

 with bits of the grass, intending to send them to 

 Lord Walsingham, as one of our first entomologists, 

 for examination ; but, alas ! by next morning they 

 were all dried up and almost invisible dead, and 

 shrivelled to nothing. 



This seemed to show that they were produced, 

 supposing them to be identical with Cobbold's para- 

 site, on certain ground, and prevalent, like the field 

 voles, at spasmodic intervals. I was much disappointed 

 at my failure to get a scientific opinion, but commend 

 this experience to those who would pursue the subject 



