Dkew. — On Ttibercitlosis in Pheasants. 55 



course of time moulting came on ; the beautiful new plumage 

 took the place of the old dirt}' feathers, and the cock- birds 

 looked magnificent in their gorgeous colours and long 4 ft. tails. 

 All the birds being now fully feathered, and seeming in 

 splendid health, the society decided to liberate them. This 

 was done some distance up the Wanganui Eiver. The pair 

 with the mended wings were not turned out, as it was con- 

 sidered that there was a danger of their being destroyed by 

 dogs, and it was also hoped that the pair would rear a brood 

 of young ones. The hen laid eleven eggs, but would not sit, 

 so the eggs were placed under a domestic hen, who hatched 

 them out, but, unfortunately, trod them to death soon after- 

 wards. During the time of their captivity the birds improved 

 in appearance ; they ate well, and looked strong and healthy, 

 and showed no outward indication of disease. On Sunday, 

 the 2nd July, the cock-bird began to mope, and, although 

 still eating food, died on the following Thursday. I opened 

 the bird and found the liver about six times larger than 

 normal, and closely studded with nodules or cysts containing 

 a yellow cheesy matter, and varying in size up to -J- in. in 

 diameter. Dr. Connolly of this town (one of the presidents 

 of our society) examined the bird with me, and pronounced 

 the trouble to be tuberculosis. Nor was the liver only in this 

 state ; all the organs were more or less diseased. The lungs 

 appeared to be most healthy ; at the same time there was a 

 very large nodule at the bottom of the right lung. The body 

 was not emaciated, but rather well nourished. Being such 

 an interesting specimen, I wrapped it in cloth, wetted with a 

 solution of formol, and posted it to the Chief Veterinarian, 

 Mr. Gilruth, Wellington, who writes, " The disease affecting 

 this animal is tuberculosis in a most advanced stage, almost 

 every organ being implicated. The nodules in the liver and 

 lungs, when examined microscopically, are found to be filled 

 with masses of the characteristic bacillus." 



Now, where did the bird contract the disease? Was it 

 before it reached New Zealand or afterwards ? Many are of 

 the opinion that had the bird developed tuberculosis before 

 coming here it would have died, and not have lived in ap- 

 parent health for eighteen months after its arrival here. In 

 spite of this opinion I think it hardly possible for the birds, 

 while under my care, to have come in contact with the 

 bacillus indicated for many reasons. To start with, the 

 aviary was built on the sandhill at the rear of the Museum ; 

 it was not old ground. About four j-ears ago some feet of 

 the sand was stripped off in levelling the site, and the land 

 has been close fenced ever since. No rubbish or anything 

 was thrown there ; no animals were kept in the enclosure ; 

 grass was growing strongly ; nothing could drain into the 



