156 PHEASANTS FOR COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



difference in the action of the leaves of the male and those 

 of the female yew when given to pheasants or other animals. 

 This could be readily accomplished by mixing the leaves of 

 the two trees with ground meal, and administering it to 

 pheasants in captivity. The information thus obtained would 

 be very valuable, inasmuch as if it were found that the leaves 

 of the female yew were not poisonous, it would lead to their 

 being safely planted in coverts and places accessible to 

 animals. A great deal of the doubt and uncertainty which 

 prevails respecting the poisoning of animals by yew may 

 possibly depend upon the relative amount of poison contained 

 in the leaves of the two sexes of this plant. It is well known 

 that children often gather and eat the viscid covering of the 

 berries of the yew without injury; consequently in that part 

 of the plant there can be no amount of this bitter principle 

 known as taxine. Cases, however, in which the seeds also 

 were swallowed by the children and death resulted are 

 recorded in the Lancet. The whole matter requires more 

 careful investigation, and offers a very interesting subject 

 of experiment to any person with the opportunity at his 

 disposal. 



The leaves of the yew were used at one time in the form 

 of an infusion known as " yew-tea," as an emmenagogue, in 

 many country places; but when the decoction took a stronger 

 form the symptoms produced were giddiness, irregular action 

 of the heart, convulsions, and insensibility, preceded by 

 symptoms of gastric irritation, such as vomiting and diarrhoea, 

 showing that the yew poison is one of those known as 

 a narcotico-acrid poison (Medicinal Plants, Bentley and 

 Trim en) . 



Another frequently unsuspected cause of death in pheasants 

 is the habit they sometimes acquire of picking up and 

 swallowing shot when in coverts that are much shot over. 

 Mr. J. Hindle Calvert, F.C.S.,made the following communica- 

 tion to the Field of Feb. 19, 1876, and his inferences 

 have been since amply confirmed by myself and others who 



