The grouse in health and in disease : being the popular edition of the report of the committee of inquiry on grouse disease / edited by A.S. Leslie ; assited by A.E. Shipley.

  • Great Britain. Committee of Inquiry on Grouse Disease.
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The grouse in health and in disease : being the popular edition of the report of the committee of inquiry on grouse disease / edited by A.S. Leslie ; assited by A.E. Shipley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    soon becomes blackened and worn by the “ burrens ” or charred stalks of old burned heather. (4) The perfect flight-feathers of the wings and tail. (5) The very large claws. In February the cock Grouse is still in the darker winter plum- February, age. Young feathers of this “winter plumage may still occasion- ally be found on the hind-neck, nape, and head in backward birds. In March the cock Grouse normally shows no change ; but March, towards the end of the month in exceptional instances individual birds may be found with a few precocious feathers of the autumn plumage making their appearance on the back of the head and neck. These are very probably feathers irregularly developed to take the place of those which have been lost during encounters with other males. In April the cock Grouse still shows no change. In this April, month there are often greatly increased opportunities for the addition of skins to a collection, because it happens to be a month of very high mortality from “ disease.” The birds are found not only by the keepers who are out early in the month in search of fox-earths, and who are generally also burning heather about this time, but also later by the shepherds when ranging the moor in the lambing season. Thus a very large proportion of males are badly diseased, and comparatively few birds are in perfect health. It follows that in the series of skins of cock birds representing the month of April, the great majority are very backward. Healthy birds have still the old, rich, red, copper - coloured throat of the winter plumage and fresh - looking “ autumn ” feathers round the neck, upper back, and mantle, while the winter and old autumn plumage of the rump and back is bleached and faded. The backward birds are easily picked out, as they have not yet assumed their “ winter ” plumage, and are still mostly clad in old, worn autumn plumage of the previous year. If an April bird has newly and thickly feathered legs and feet, it means, almost certainly, that the “ winter ” plumage has been put on very late. The healthy Grouse should now be moulting the D