PHEASANTS: IN PEACE 117 



feathers (a process which keepers always are glad 

 to see completed), and finally suffering severely 

 when gapes broke out in covert. 



By blindness I mean that the eyelids, first of 

 one eye and soon afterwards of both, are stuck 

 together by a gummy substance, when, unless 

 something is done, the afflicted chicks soon starve. 

 A certain cure is just to tinge a morsel of hard- 

 boiled white of egg with blue vitriol (sulphate of 

 copper), and put it down the sufferer's throat. 

 You must not be too liberal with the vitriol, or 

 you will save the chick all further liability to 

 ailments of any sort. By way of external treat- 

 ment, the eyelids may be anointed with oil of 

 almonds, and separated so that the bird can see 

 to feed ; which external treatment should be con- 

 tinued, if necessary, till the internal dose has taken 

 effect. I knew one keeper who swore by his own 

 saliva as a fomentation for the eyelids of blind 

 pheasants. But individual treatment is tedious 

 not that the keeper begrudges any amount of 

 trouble, if thereby he can rear a pheasant to 

 maturity. Unfortunately, as I have often proved, 

 birds, though completely cured of blindness, are 

 very liable to die off later, especially from gapes. 

 Chopped onions are particularly beneficial to birds 

 suffering from gapes, and it is a good plan also 

 to dress their food, immediately before giving, 

 with a mixture in the proportion of sixpenny-worth 



