Tuberculosis. 143 



Most of the diseases from w^iich young pheasants suffer 

 are infectious ; and in all cases in which birds die from infectious 

 disease, or are destroyed to prevent its spread, the greatest 

 care should be taken not to leave the dead bodies exposed. 

 If this be done the disease is, almost certain to extend ; it has 

 been proved to do so in the case of birds djdng of tuberculosis, 

 gapes, and other diseases, especially coccidiosis. The dead 

 carcases should always be burnt. This cannot be too often 

 or too strongly insisted upon. When the body of a diseased 

 bird is simply buried, different beetles or insects feed on the 

 carcase, and may become carriers of the disease to other 

 animals that in turn feed on them. And again in the case of a 

 disease like coccj^diosis the disease is spread by the spores 

 of the protozoon that causes it, and it has been proved that 

 these spores may retain their vitality for even two years, so 

 that burning the dead bodies of birds that have died from any 

 disease should always be insisted on. If the bodies cannot be 

 burnt, they should be buried deeply, with a thick layer of 

 gas-lime round them in some part of the ground away from 

 where fowls or pheasants are reared. Hanging the dead bodies 

 of diseased birds in trees to produce a supply of gentles is 

 exceedingly objectionable and dangerous. 



Tuberculosis. 



One of the most common causes of mortality among adult 

 pheasants is tuberculosis. It is more frequently seen in aviary 

 birds, than amongst birds in the coverts ; but even amongst 

 these the disease has been known to occur, probably intro- 

 duced by birds that have been turned out of the aviaries 

 when suffering from it. The disease is most infectious, the 

 infection being conveyed by the excreta, containing the bacilli 

 of the disease, which contaminate the soil and so get on to the 

 iood. The birds become anaemic, dull, and emaciated, and 

 their loss of weight is so well known to pheasant breeders that 

 they are termed " light birds." The definite diagnosis of avine 

 tuberculosis can, however, only be made by post-mortem 



