126 LETTERS TO YOUNG SHOOTERS LETTER 



Suspend some meat in the sun from the bough of 

 a tree, and a few feet underneath arrange a large box 

 of wood or tin, filled some inches deep with sand on 

 no account with meal, or this will be picked up by the 

 birds in a stale and tainted condition when thrown 

 to them with the maggots. 



As the meat becomes flyblown and the eggs hatch, 

 the maggots will drop into the receptacle below, and 

 after a few days will become thoroughly cleansed in 

 the sand. 



When quite wliite they may be given to the phea- 

 sants ; if used before they are clean, they will cause 

 the death of many young birds from diarrhoea. 



I have lost numbers of birds in the rearing field 

 from starvation, the result of blindness caused by 

 inflammation of the eyes ; after severe cold the eyes 

 of a young pheasant will sometimes run to such an 

 extent that the lids are gummed tightly together by 

 the thick mucus exuded. Catch with a landing net 

 any birds thus affected they are soon detected by 

 their humped- up, miserable appearance and dab 

 the region of the eyes with a small soft sponge dipped 

 in warm water ; next, with a feather, moisten the 

 eyelids with a weak solution of nitrate of silver, 4 grs. 

 to the ounce ; any local chemist will supply you with 

 this. 



