Edward Wilson accompanied both of Scott’s Antarctic expeditions, and during the years between he worked on the Grouse Disease Inquiry. Grouse-shooting formed a significant part of the rural economy in Britain, and when an unknown disease began to affect the grouse population, a committee of inquiry under Lord Lovat was formed. Wilson spent much time in the field as observer, physiologist and anatomist, dissecting nearly 2000 specimens, and making sketches and drawings of the birds. His findings appeared in the present work, which contains Lord Lovat’s introduction (in which he praises Wilson’s work), and numerous chapters attributed to Wilson. In addition, the illustrations are almost entirely due to Wilson.