Lead Poisoning ? 165 



gamekeeper brought me for inspection a hen pheasant 

 which was partially paralysed in the legs, and low in condition.: 

 On kiUing the same and opening the gizzard I found thirteen 

 leaden pellets of various sizes ; the grinding action of the 

 gizzard had disseminated the lead with the food, and the bird 

 was surely but safely undergoing the slow process of lead- 

 poisoning. This was very evident on applying the usual 

 chemical tests, as I readily detected lead dissolved in the food, 

 and also traces in the blood taken from the region of the heart. 

 Two days after this the gamekeeper brought another hve bird. 

 This one had been in a sickly condition for two or three weeks, 

 and was quite emaciated. The legs were paralj'sed, and the 

 feet drawn in a similar manner to the drop-hand when lead 

 has been the cause of poisoning in the human subject. On 

 opening the gizzard I found four pellets, so that there is httle 

 doubt that this bird would soon have died from the effects of 

 lead poisoning. 



" I understand last year some score of pheasants died 

 in the same preserve, all of them showing symptoms same 

 aa above related. Both years the poisoning happened after 

 the coverts had been shot through. No doubt the birds pick up 

 the pellets under the delusion of being either food or grains 

 of sand ; perhaps the latter. When the birds died last year 

 the cause of death was attributed to there being too many left 

 for breeding purposes ; rather a strange reason, seeing that the 

 birds had been decimated on the shooting day. 



" Others may have experienced something similar to the 

 above, without being able to give a satisfactory reason for 

 the birds dying ; but where you have paralysed limbs and 

 a gradual falling off in condition, and should this happen 

 some weeks after the covert has been shot through, then youl 

 may suspect that lead-poisoning is a probable cause." 



But later investigation throws a different light on Mr. Hindle 

 Calvert's story. I have not been able to accept his conclusions. 

 I have never myself come across a case of lead poisoning by 

 shot. That may be due to the fact that now all shot is hardened 



