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REPORT ON THE GROUSE DISEASE.* 



Bi' E. Klein, M.D., F.R.S. 



Lecturer ou General Anatomy and Physiology at the Medical School of 



St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London. 



The disease which during the spring and summer of the 

 present year prevailed amongst the Grouse on the moors of 

 Ayrshire and Cumberland is, according to the account given to 

 me by the keepers on the various moors, the same which visited 

 those parts during 1883 and at previous periods. The disease, 

 during the present year, commenced on all these moors about the 

 end of the first and during the second week of April, and lasted 

 in a severe form until the end of May. During June it greatly 

 diminished, and by the middle of the month, although in every 

 one of the moors visited tliere were birds still affected, the disease 

 had so much abated that it may be said to have practically come 

 to a close. But I am sorry to say that this standstill seems to be 

 due, in some degree, to the fact that most of last year's birds had 

 been almost cleared out by disease. At any rate, on some of the 

 moors few healthy old birds could be met with. 



The symptoms of the disease in Grouse during the present 

 year are the same as those noticed in previous epidemics, and 

 I think there can be little doubt also that during this year 

 it is the typical and well-known " Grouse disease." All the 

 keepers of the moors visited are unanimous on this point. The 

 birds affected with the disease show the loss of feathers on the legs, 

 the darker colour of the plumage on the back, the hoarse voice, 

 and the sluggish abnormal flight. The birds seek the water, and 

 when dead are generally found near or at the burnside or other 

 water, loch or drain, on the moors. The diseased birds which 

 I have examined— and this agrees with the accounts given by the 

 various keepers, as well as by other observers— differ in this, that 

 some die in a plump, others in a wasted condition. 



The moors which I visited, and on which I examined diseased 

 birds are : — (1) Waterhead Moors, near Cumnock, rented by Mr. 

 L. Marshall and Mr. S. Grant ; keeper, J. Sargent. (2) Craiglure 

 Moors, near Maybole, belonging to the Marquis of Ailsa ; head 

 keeper, Mr. Cox ; under keeper, Macdonald. (3) Kilkerran Moors, 



•■= From 'The Field' of Jiily 23rd, 1887. 



