Practical Game-Preserving. 214 



investigations have given us as to the origin of the malady 

 or maladies ; but it is very probable that until a properly- 

 constituted body can sit down upon a moor and investigate 

 an outbreak from its very inception to its final disappear- 

 ance, we shall never have a definite pronouncement upon 

 the cause, development, and the means of combating the 

 epidemic. 



This being the case, it is somewhat presumptuous to 

 attempt to offer any definite advice as to how to deal with 

 grouse disease. All that can be said is that all dead birds 

 should be burned, all weakly birds killed off, and as 

 small a stock as possible left over for breeding purposes. 

 Much could be done to prevent it by draining in certain 

 defined directions, having reference to the water-supply, 

 because it is practically assured that it is in connection with 

 this that the great epidemics are caused. A damp soil, 

 accompanied by unusual heat, producing a warm, humid 

 state of the atmosphere and surface soil, are the conditions 

 most favourable to an outbreak and the spread of it. It 

 is, however, comparatively local, but when carried to a 

 fresh locality is far more destructive than over the scene 

 of its outbreak. 



I am entirely of opinion that over-preservation is in- 

 directly the cause of a very great deal of grouse disease, 

 and agree that over-destruction of certain kinds of 

 feathered and furred vermin exercises an equally, although 

 indirect, deleterious influence. The carrion crows, rooks, 

 stoats, weasels, magpies, and jays, where they exist, 

 should be cleared off with no uncertain hand; but to 

 the hawks in reason I would extend as great a licence as 

 possible, especially to the larger ones. All the above are 

 determined destroyers of eggs and young chicks, indis- 

 criminately, choosing always the best and healthiest of the 

 latter. To the hawks it is mainly the weaklings and the 



