46 ox PNEUMO-ENTERITIS IN THE RED GUOUSE. 



Mr. Seth-Smith pointed out that, so far, no systematic breeding 

 experiments had been carried out with Budgerigars, but with three 

 distinct colour-phases of a free-breeding species to work with, the 

 material for some very interesting experimental breeding was at 

 hand. 



He acknowledged his indebtedness to M. Pauwels for the loan 

 of the blue specimen exhibited at the meeting. 



PAPERS. 



5. On a Possible Cause of Pneumo-enteritis in the Red Grouse 

 (Lagopus scotims). By H. B. Fantham, D.Sc, B.A., 

 r.z!s., and H. Hammond Smith, M.R.O.S., L.R.C.P., 

 F.Z.S. 



[Received Octolter 24, 1910: Read November 29, 1910.] 



The importance of Ooccidiosis as a serious disefi,se of the 

 digestive tract of birds has lately been clearly established by 

 Fantham in England in the case of young Grouse and Pheasants, 

 and by Morse and Hadley in America in Fowls and Turkeys. 



While pursuing our researches at the Frimley Experimental 

 Farm belonging to the Grouse Disease Inquiry Committee during 

 the summer of 1910, we found that out of 40 Grouse chicks 

 hatched, 17 died between the ages of 4 and 6 weeks. These 

 birds were examined by both of us and were found to be suffering 

 from Ooccidiosis, the parasites (Eimeria (Coccidium) avium) occui*- 

 ring especially in the duodenum and cseca. Many of these young 

 birds, however, alsDpresented symptoms of pneumonia, consequently 

 the lungs, trachea, and bronchi of the birds were most carefully 

 examined. The results of our examination were most interesting, 

 for we both found coccidian oocysts in the trachea, bronchi, and 

 bronchioles. Inside these oocysts the pr-ocesses of formation of 

 the four sporobla,sts were sometimes found to be going on. The 

 oocysts were probably acquired by the mouth, and a few of them, 

 instead of passing directly down the digestive tract, as is usual, 

 may have found their way, vid the glottis, into the trachea and 

 bronchioles. It is possible that these coccidian cysts in the 

 bronchioles would be quite capable of setting up sufficient irri- 

 tation to account for the pneumonic symptoms seen in the lung-s 

 of these young birds. It would seem, therefore, tha.t the old 

 name of pneumo-enteritis, as applied by Mr. Tegetmeier and 

 others to one of the diseases that caused mortality in Grouse — a 

 view which has met with much criticism — may after all be proved 

 to have some foundation in fact. 



References to Literaiiir^. 



Cole, L. J., and Hadley, P. B. (1910).—" Blackhead in Turkeys, 

 a Study in Avian Coccidiosis." Bulletin 141, Agric. Expt. 

 Station, Rhode Island State College. 



Fantham, H. B. (1910). — "On the Morphology and Life-History 

 of Einieria [Goccidium) avium, a Sporozoon causing a Fatal 



