3 U!/:Cki>IIKE GAME BREEDER 115 



Audubon and all the other naturalists count we published of wild ducks being 



praise the edible qualities of these our poisoned by eating the shot taken from 



best game birds. Why not give them a the shallow water on some California 



chance to become plentiful and cheap ? preserves and elsewhere. Capt. Max- 



= ^ well says the pheasants are sometimes 



Lead Poisoning. poisoned by eating yew, ivy, and lead 



Our readers will remember the ac- pellets picked up after the shooting. 



THE BLACK HEAD DISEASE. 



Contribution from the Agricultural Experiment Station 



Rhode Island State College. 



(Continued from May Number.) 



It not uncommonly happens that a eggs after a dozen or more eggs have 



turkey hen disdains all the owner's at- been removed from her nest. In such a 



tempts at artificial nest building and will case she may be supplied with fertile 



select some unexpected place. In such eggs to incubate, or all eggs, nest eggs 



cases, unless the hens are followed and included, may be removed from the nest, 



the nesting place found, many of the As a result she will usually return to 



eggs may be lost by freezing during the laying within a week to ten days, but 



early part of the nesting period. More- may choose another nest for the later 



over, {the hens must be tracked sur- litter. 



reptitiously for if they realize that they It sometimes happens that when the 

 are being followed or watched, or if they range is wide a nesting hen is over- 

 are alarmed while on the nest, they will looked and is not discovered until she 

 frequently leave it and not return, but has completed laying her first litter and 

 go on the hunt for a new nesting place, has commenced incubation. In such a 

 If the range is small all the nest boxes case it may be well to allow her to con- 

 should be examined late each afternoon, tinue the sitting after provision has been 

 If it is large much time may be saved made to prevent her ranging off with the 

 through an attempt to locate the nests young poults after hatching. This may 

 that are being used, and by examining be accomplished by placing about the 

 these only, at the times when the eggs nest a triangle (about -four feet on a 

 are to be collected. side) of ten-inch boards. This seldom 



As soon as the first egg is removed disturbs the hen if it is accomplished 

 from a nest, it should be replaced by a during her absence, arid it suffices not 

 nest egg. Failure to do this, frequently only to confine the young after hatching, 

 causes the hen to leave the nest and seek but to prevent skunks from despoiling the 

 a new one. After several eggs have been "est during the absence of the mother 

 laid a second nest egg should be added, ^or meals and exercise. After hatching 

 and these two will usually serve to main- the young poults may be brought closer 

 tain such a bond of attraction that all the bome, the mother accompanying, or they 

 other eggs may be removed as fast as ^ay be given to ordinary hens on a re- 

 they are laid without danger of disturb- stricted range, and cared for by methods 

 ance. Under such conditions, so long as subsequently to be described, 

 the hen is not annoyed by dogs, or by Incubation and Hatching. 

 too close following she will continue to it is seldom practicable to permit the 

 lay and the broody period is deferred, incubation of the eggs under the mother 

 Hens, however, differ markedly in this turkey, at least in ihe case of the first 

 respect and some will start the incuba- litter. The continued removal of suc- 

 tion of a single egg. Occasionally a cessive eggs from the nest, in which are 

 hen will persist in sitting upon her nest left a few china eggs, will cause the hen 



