THE COMMON PARTRIDGE. 59 



pickling seed wheat is what has nearly exterminated partridges in 

 many parts of Ireland. The old birds, through the winter 

 months, eat freely this poisoned grain, and die from the effects of 

 it, which has been often proved to be the case. Gentlemen who 

 wish to preserve their game should be cautious how they use 

 vitriol, and other such poisonous ingredients, which in pickling 

 are not at all necessary." 



Before deciding that this is the chief cause of decrease, it 

 would be requisite to know whether the practice of using " poi- 

 sonous ingredients " commenced about the period that the dimi- 

 nution of these birds was first observed, and whether different 

 ingredients are used for that purpose in the parts of England and 

 Scotland where partridges abound. I know that in one extensive 

 district in the county of Antrim, where these birds were some 

 years ago plentiful, and are now very scarce, they have not 

 been injured by any deleterious substance being used in the steep- 

 ing of grain. With respect to the counties of Antrim and Down 

 generally, a gentleman, well known as an agricultural chemist, 

 informs me, that he has never known arsenic, nOr anything more 

 poisonous than a solution of sulphate of copper used in the steep- 

 ing of wheat ; and this, he considers, would hardly have any 

 effect in diminishing the number of partridges.* 



* Attention was lately called to this matter in England. — Doctor Henry William 

 Fuller, of St. George's Hospital, sent the following communication to The Lancet : — 

 " For some months past, in certain parts of Hampshire, partridges have been found 

 dead in the fields, presenting a very remarkable appearance. Instead of lying pro- 

 strate on their sides, as is usually the case with dead birds, they have been found 

 sitting with their heads erect, and their eyes open, presenting all the semblance of 

 life. This peculiarity, which for some time had attracted considerable attention, 

 among sportsmen in the neighbourhood, led to no practical result until about ten 

 days ago, when a covey of ten birds having been found nestled together in this con- 

 dition, two of the birds, together with the seeds taken from the crops of the remain- 

 ing eight, were sent up to London for examination." By analysis, Doctor Fuller 

 discovered considerable quantities of arsenic in the viscera of the birds ; this was 

 traced to the seed-corn in their crops. Inquiry established, that " in Hampshire, 

 Lincolnshire, and many other parts of the country, the farmers are now in the habit 

 of steeping their wheat in a strong solution of arsenic, previous to sowing it, with 

 the view of preventing the ravages of the wire-worm on the seed, and of the smut on 

 the plant when grown ; that this process is found to be eminently successful, and is, 

 therefore, daily becoming more and more generally adopted ; that even now many 

 hundreds weight of arsenic are yearly sold to agriculturists for this express purpose ; 

 that although the seed is poisonous when sown, its fruit is in no degree affected by 



