asserted or suggested that none of the round worms. were present.

"That the presence of these parasites was unconnected with the death of the great majority of the birds examined is, I think, proved by the want of any causal or obvious relationship between the infestation and the fatal issue; and also by the absence, in most cases, of the signs of fatal parasitism-such as inanition, producing the 'pining' condition, actual perforation, morbid appearance of the muscular tissues, &c. No one can deny that the presence of parasites in large numbers undoubtedly causes death in a specific and readily understood manner; but this fact will not explain the nature of the cause or disease which operates so fatally, without any exceptional development of parasites, and certainly without the slightest appearance of inanition or other concomitant symptoms of helminthiasis. Outside the parasitic hypothesis, applicable as that theory is to a certain class of cases, there lies, I am convinced, the great bulk of fatal instances, the exact cause of which fatality must be sought for in some lesion analogous to that involved in the idea of the epidemic theory. We must thus account for the death in numbers of grouse which, with what one may consider a normal and natural degree of parasitism, yet die and succumb to disease, and which on examination present wellnourished bodies, firm, healthy muscular tissue, and other signs of presumed health.

66

MR. J. K. LORD ON GROUSE DISEASE.

149

Conversely, the lesions found after death, as exemplified by the foregoing observations, are perfectly compatible with the theory and suggestion of a contagious epidemic disease, which runs through a defined course, and which, could the animals be observed during life with the requisite degree of care and attention, would probably be found to exhibit a symptomatology analogous to that of an acute febrile attack. And this view may receive some support from its serving to explain the varying degrees of intensity in the appearances observed on dissection, by presuming that the attack may terminate fatally at various stages in its course; or that the less marked appearances seen in certain cases may be consistent with symptoms of resolution and amendment."

Our esteemed friend, the late Mr. John Keast Lord, naturalist to the British North American Boundary Commission, author of that charming book, "At Home in the Wilderness," wrote several articles on the grouse disease in "Land and Water," in 1867, when the malady was very prevalent. He thought then that the grouse disease belonged to the same category as cholera and rinderpest, but he advanced no opinion as to the origin of it. He assumed that the germ of the contagion floated in the air or in water, and was taken into the alimentary canal with the food. While discussing the subject since with him and another high authority, Mr. Frank

150

MR. BUCKLAND ON GROUSE DISEASE.

Buckland, he yielded very much to our views that an unhealthy growth of the herbage, upon which grouse mainly depend for subsistence, was one of the causes of, or at least predisposed them to, the disease. The results of the post-mortem examinations that were made from time to time by Mr. Lord and Mr. Buckland appear to have confirmed their idea, that the disease was disorganisation of the liver accompanied with inflammation of the chest viscera. They were of opinion that "stamping out" was the only means of putting an end to the further spread of the pestilence that every sick and weakly bird should be shot and buried with some disinfectant, or put into a pit with quicklime. We think that there is far too great a tendency to ascribe the origin of all diseases to living germs and organisms, while other and more satisfactory explanations are at hand.

Having now put before our readers the various opinions of scientists, sportsmen, naturalists, and others, on the grouse disease question, we will make some concluding remarks.

CHAPTER VI.

Attempt the end, and never stand to doubt;
Nothing's so hard but search will find it out.

ALTHOUGH the grouse disease, its causes, and the
means of remedying it, appeared at first exceedingly
perplexing, we have, we think, cleared up the seem-
ing mystery in the foregoing pages. The investiga-
tions made by us many years ago on the subject left
no matter of doubt in our mind. Lest, however, it
might be thought that we are only adopting the
opinions given in the preceding pages by others, we
will reprint the views entertained by us many years
since, and which we published in the Press at the
time. In 1856 we expressed the same views as we
do now.
Although we have lost the paper, the fol-
lowing extract from it, however, is to be found at
page 717 of our work on "British Columbia," issued
in 1863. In writing about the birds of that country

152

CAUSE OF THE SCARCITY OF GROUSE.

we referred to grouse in Scotland, and the disease, as follows:

"The disease which has prevailed amongst grouse is said to be almost as mysterious as the potato blight; and nothing that has yet been written about it has satisfied us of the causes which led to the disappearance of birds from the best-stocked moors a short time ago. We are of opinion that the passion for inordinately large bags, which has been indulged in on moors not let under lease, and the unceasing demand for the southern market, has led chiefly to the scarcity that existed. No stranger has the same interest in preserving game as the owners, who have a love for sport; but we regret to say that these have become few in number, and that exploring the fastnesses of the Highlands is all but relinquished by our own country gentlemen. The paucity may also be ascribed to the decreasing number of the fox, and to not burning the overgrown portions of the heath each successive year; for when the heath becomes rank, the young birds, being caged in, are unable to move away for food, and are frequently found dead in their nests."

We wrote our opinion in "Bell's Life" of 16th June 1861, from which the following is an abridged extract:

"Although many persons may not feel disposed to attach much importance to the opinions of the aborigines of British North America, it may never