144: PHEASANTS FOB COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



Ofchei- cpideinic iufuctious discuses affect young plieasauts, 

 carrying- them off at times in large uamlters. The most 

 important (..f these is one, tlie origin of which is generally 

 unsuspected iiiimngst phensant rearers, it arising from 

 the fa,rmvard linis which arc used as hatchers and foster- 

 mothers. 



Dr. Klein gave a very careful account of this disease in 

 the columns of the FIrld. He wrote as follows ; 



"' f had the opport;unity of investigating the disease in one 

 of the eastern coi;nties, where on one estate several hundreds 

 of young pheasants liecame affected and died. The symptoms 

 are these : The young lurds, generally less than six weeks 

 old, show either at one or hoth of the angles of the month, on 

 one or both eyelids, on the feet, sometimes also on the 

 alidoinen, some patclies of various sizes and outlines, at first 

 red and slightly elevated or swollen, then becoming yellowish- 

 grev and dry and necrotic. When the eyelids are involved 

 (which is the case in a large percentage) the birds appear 

 blind, owing to the lids being more or less closed ; where the 

 feet are also affected (which in a large percentage is the case) 

 the Ihrds ar^■ weak and slow in walking, they limp also. 

 \\'hen the nnjutli is affected they caniujt feed, and therefore 

 waste and soon die ; the same result occurs when the eyelids 

 become closed hx the disease. In the large luajority of fatal 

 cases the affection involves one or both eyelids and the 

 mouth ; but in these cases also one or both legs show the 

 disease in nnmerous necrotic patches of the skin. The disease 

 is a cutaneous alfection, and does not involve the deeper 

 p)arts ; on the legs the bones are unaltered, and there is 

 no distinct visceral disease anywhere to be discovered by the 

 naked eye inspection. Under the raicroscojie in the earlier 

 stages, the true skin is much inflamed, its vessels niucli 

 congested, and tlie blood in them in si'a.v/.s- ,• the tissue of the 

 skin is much inHltra,ted with inflammatory cells. Soon the 

 whole inflanicd parts begin to break down into a necrotic 

 (Ji'hris ; the area of necrosis grailually enlarges, but is alwavs 



