PHEASANTS 



Gamekeepers are, as a rule, extremely tenacious of im- 

 parting reliable information, or any information, that can 

 be taken as of much value ; most of these people are 

 shrewd, and pretend to have some wonderful and mysterious 

 secret. They frequently mislead, by their crafty and un- 

 principled information, those who seek it, thus rendering 

 their statements unworthy of the attention so often be- 

 stowed upon them. Many of the so-called specifics are 

 decoctions of various noxious herbs, roots, etc., and no 

 doubt, in some instances, do destroy the parasites in the 

 trachea, but, unfortunately, they at the same time com- 

 pletely undermine the constitution of the young birds ; 

 therefore the much-vaunted remedy is little or no better 

 than the disease. Other means are often resorted to in 

 order to rid the chicks of these fearful tormentors, such as 

 giving them camphor pills, turpentine, tobacco-water and 

 tobacco-smoke, and putting them in a box and shaking 

 fine lime-dust among them, which they inhale while in 

 the act of breathing ; this caustic powder will kill or 

 cause to be expelled the worms, and as frequently will kill 

 the chicks. Another plan is by inserting into the trachea 

 a feather oiled and dipped into finely-powdered salt or 

 tobacco-water, and by a twist round draw out the worms ; 

 to accomplish this object the dried tongue of a wood- 

 pecker is not unfrequently used. In fact, there is no end 

 to the so-named cures for this most troublesome disease ; a 

 few may succeed, but the greater part fail, in spite of the 

 most anxious perseverance and attention. 



It will be, it is hoped, shown that this destructive com- 

 plaint can be avoided by attending strictly to one very 

 simple rule — viz. that all water used in the food or pre- 

 paration of the food should be boiled before it is so used. 

 The object aimed at by boiling the water is the destruc- 

 tion of the eggs or germs of the parasite. 



This means of preventing the disease first suggested 

 289 Tj 



