8 BULLETIN 793, U. S. DEPARTMEITT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Both died, the former in 11, and the latter in 13 daj's. One redhead 

 was killed by taking six No. 6 shot. Another was given four pellets 

 of shot and was sick for some time, but finally recovered. Experi- 

 ments were not tried with other species. 



The symptoms in these birds were invariably the same, and it was 

 proved beyond question that lead poisoning from ingested shot is a 

 dangerous and usually fatal malady. In from 10 to 24 hours the 

 feces of birds to which shot had been given were stained with green 

 and were loose and watery in consistence. This green tinge increased 

 imtil the fecal matter was yerj dark. Birds thus affected drank con- 

 stantly, and frequently when disturbed regurgitated small quantities 

 of more or less greenish water. As the malady progressed the affected 

 ducks spent more and more time in the water pans and drank con- 

 stantly. The excrement in 12 hours often was sufficient in quantity 

 to color strongly 10 quarts of water. 



Other symptoms and post-mortem appearances were similar to those 

 described in previous paragraphs. Birds were affected more rapidly 

 by soft shot than by chilled or hardened shot, but in either case the 

 result was the same. Birds that had the stomachs well filled with 

 gravel or that had access to an abundance of gravel were weakened 

 more quickly than those that had been confined for some time where 

 they could not secure grit. Apparently the rapidity with which they 

 became affected was dependent upon the speed with which trituration 

 in the ventriculus ground away particles of lead and passed them into 

 the intestine. It has been mentioned that in post-mortem examina- 

 tions the blackened lining of the cseca was found to be a prominent 

 symptom of lead poisoning. It was supposed that this blackening 

 was due to the presence of lead sulphide formed by the action of 

 hydrogen sulphide upon lead particles present in the intestine. 

 Analyses made in the Bureau of Chemistry proved that this was not 

 true in the majority of cases, as only a trace of lead sulphide was 

 detected in one sample in six submitted for examination. The quantity 

 of lead present in the cseca seemed somewhat correlated with the num- 

 ber of shot in the stomach. Table I gives the results of the six 

 analyses. 



Table I. 



-Relation tetioeen numlier of shot in stomachs of n-aterfoicl and quan- 

 tity of lead in cceca. 



Species. 



Number 

 of shot in 

 stomach. 



Quantity 



of lead' 



detected 



iacseca. 



Species. 



Number 

 ofshotin 

 stomach. 



Quantity 

 of lead 

 detected 

 in caeca. 



Mallard 



i 

 11 

 17 



Mgm. 

 0.20 

 .20 

 .27 





34 



Mgm. 

 55 



Do 



Do 



Pintail 



48 

 5 



.55 



Do 



15 









