266 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



pathologist; tapeworms were again found in the intestine, (c). A grouse 

 received on May 24th from Sir W. Wallace, on whose moors the deaths have 

 been terribly numerous, was in an extreme state of emaciation ; its crop con- 

 tained but three tops of heather, its liver was congested, and the contents of 

 the intestine particularly fluid; tapeworms were present in rather stronger 

 force than usual, and in the caeca I found the threadworm which was regarded 

 by Dr. Spencer Gobbold as the cause of " grouse disease." Of a, then, it 

 can only be said that they were dead ; of b, that it was suffering from 

 inflammation of the intestines ; and of c, that it was starved, and contained 

 Cobbold's worm. If, then, all three grouse died of " grouse disease," grouse 

 disease must kill in at least three ditferent ways, or under the term " grouse 

 disease" more than one affection is included. The latter would appear to be 

 the more reasonable supposition, and in that case it may be pointed out that 

 the first thing to be done is to define much more strictly than has been done 

 in the past what is meant by "grouse disease"; of all these birds, strict 

 accuracy forbids our saying more than " they were dead." I have, however, 

 been told more than once that there is a certain external diagnostic sign of 

 the disease, and that is the loss of feathers from the feet ; on that I should 

 like to make two remarks. One follows the natural history of the group, 

 and may be most briefly expressed in the words of Dr. Stejneger ('American 

 Naturalist,' 1884, p. 776), " the thick feathers of the toes in Lagopodes 

 also moult during the summer, at which time the toes of the latter are 

 almost wholly denuded of feathers." [The article here quoted is of such 

 interest to ornithologists that we have thought well to reprint it in the 

 present number. — Ed.] The other remark is, that a Ptarmigan, in which 

 the denudation of feathers on the feet has gone on to a considerable extent, 

 was examined by me this morning, and was found to be perfectly healthy, 

 well-nourished, and free from helminth parasites. I conclude, therefore, 

 that the loss of feathers from tlie feet is not, at this season of the year, to 

 be taken as a diagnostic sign of any diseased condition of the bird. I cannot 

 avoid the conclusion that the birds examined by me did not in any case 

 primarily owe their death to helminth parasites ; examination on the spot 

 will best decide whether microbes play a part in the aetiology of the 

 disease or diseases which are now causing such havoc in S.W. Scotland. — 

 F. Jeffrey Bell. 



Hybrid Greenfinches. ^Three more hybrid Greenfinches, in addition 

 to those already recorded (Zool. 1888, p. 879], are worth mentioning, as 

 proving the frequency with which this hybridism takes place in a wild 

 state. The first of these was caught at Yarmouth in 1882, and may be 

 seen stuffed and cased in the house of one of the birdcatchers there. It was 

 noticed by Mr. G. Smith soon after being taken, and he agrees with me in 

 considering that it is a hybrid between a Linnet and a Greenfinch, closely 

 resembling Mr. Stevenson's hybrid (Zool. I.e.) of similar origin. The 



