11 TO ALKALI, 
" n ce Theories on Disease 
n P Analyzed by Dr. 
Alex Whetmore at 
Duckville. 
^ATERFnwj ABUNDANT 
NORTH END OF LAKE 
Experimenting With 
ln °culated Birds in Effort 
to Find Cure. 
The th 
^hlcjj e ° r J' that the duck disease 
^ke „„ _. #ots the ducks on Great Salt 
a, hau 
each 
ne 
6h 0r I)roi>ert * es °r the water near 
f w here the ducks feed was 
‘oih, 
v,it h ot the forest service, who 
B * r '1ce l l 08 Hoffman, also of tho 
^ t **h*nt a trlp t0 the federal cx ' 
> by stati °n conducted at Duck- 
V. r ‘ AI ex Whetmore, on Sun- 
v 'ent SS * Iolbers an(1 Mr . Hoff- 
aas fr ° m B rlgham City to the 
°r 9 '''ere taken by Dr. 
Iqj. 
n »el , 
c ha : 
K Of B , 
Dr. Whetmore, who is an assistant 
biologist of the United States biologi¬ 
cal survey, showed his visitors pieces 
of the flesh of ducks which had died 
this season and stated that the meat 
was in a soapy state. This indicated, 
he said, that alkali was in the flesh 
as animal oils and alkali form soap. 
Dr. Whetmore has several live duclfS 
which he has inoculated with disease 
germs and they are in practically the 
same condition as the ducks affected 
~ ' iViV'i'by the malady which they had con- 
r7fl> I traded themselves. He is studying 
' ' the duck disease with a view to de¬ 
termining the cause and has made 
quite extensive experiments along this 
line. 
The disease will affect the water 
fowl to a considerably extent this 
year, the scientist informed the Og¬ 
den people, and has commenced to de¬ 
velop to a slight extent already. Sev¬ 
eral ducks were seen which were af¬ 
fected by it and some which had died 
were also noticed. 
Miss Holberg said that the section 
visited was fairly teeming with water 
fowl of all kinds. Sixteen, separate 
varieties were seen, including Cana¬ 
dian geese, cormorants, tea!, red 
heads, canvas back, pelicans, blue and 
white herons, glossy ibis, avocets, kill- 
deer ana many other snipe and larger 
species. In several places nests mad® 
by some of the smaller birds were 
seen which had been built up tier by 
tier for a distance of over a foot to 
keep the nests above the constantly 1 
rising water. ■ The lake at this time 
of year, however, Miss Holberg said, 
was unusually low and water which 
had filled small inlets. and marshes 
along the banks a few weeks ago had 
receded to the main lake, leaving 
bare stretches of alkali plains reacji- 
in for miles. 
Dr. Whetmore has been investigat¬ 
ing the duck malady for some time 
and has written a comprehensive re¬ 
port of the -work which .has been ac¬ 
complished, He has been at his pres¬ 
ent location since early spring. 
^ar might be due to the 
Yesterday by Miss Rosalio 
to- 
■tvi. 
Whet- 
s °hie distance down the 
ear river into the lake in 
to study conditions of the 
