The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-06-13
Government and SpOftsmen
Are Interested
History of Destroying Malady That
First Made Its Appearance in
England.
GROUSE WERE FIRST VICTIMS.

Washington, June Ia Lovers of
game birds all over the United States
will be disturbed to hear that there
is an outbreak of disease among the
quail of the country that threatens
serious results. The news is con-
tanned in a circular just issued by the
department of agriculture calling the
attention of sportsmen and game
dealers to the outbreak and asking
for more information on which to
base treatment and protective meas
ures. While not enough Is known
about the disease to make diagnosis
absolutely certain, II is suspiciously
like the dreaded grouse disease"
that for 100 years has been playing
havoc with the game birds In Eng
land. The centers of infection In
this country are only just being 10
Gated and if more information is
gained, it Is possible that quarantine
measures may be resorted to.
The grouse disease outbreak In
England was first noted in 1917, and
oAnRt Antn IL neAo on1BA O1tA Ah6AohA
and Scotland, causing, as many sport
ing writer's declare, more havoc in its
lightest years than all the double
barreled guns in both countries. It
is most prevalent in seasons such as
we have been having in this country
this year, cold, wet and delayed
spring, which restricts the birds
feeding grounds and cause them to
crowd more closely together, giving
the infection a better chance to
spread. The grouse disease has been
found to be as definite & malady as
typhoid diphtheria. In fact, the dis
ease, though evidently infectious,
seems to be closely allied to, pneu-
monia.
Not enough has been learned yet
about the quail disease to establish
its identity unquestionably with the
grouse disease, but its symptoms and
the spread of the infection are much
the same, and there is a possibility
that it has been imported with the
shipment of grouse from England. It
is known at least that the quail dis
ease is fatal, not only to quail, but to
the sharp-tailed grouse of this coun-
try. and there are grave fears of it's
wider spread affecting many of the
most important game birds of this
country.
Swiftness of. the Disease.
The first intimation that the de
partment of agriculture had of the
disease was when in April. 1896, the
bureau of animal industry received
three dead birds from dealer in this
city. He said that the birds we're the
last of large lot that had been
steadily dying Oft The whole flock
would appear well at night, and in
the morning several of them would
be dead.
Some time later the same dealer
received a shipment of two dozen
blue quail from Wichita, Kan. Nearly
all were dead on arrival, evidently
from the same disease. as certain in
dications showed. Then a shipment
was received from Birmingham, Ala
All of these died Of the same malady
Then a report was received from
Worcester. Mass, saying that an in
fictitious disease was killing off the
RULED grouse that were raised for
stock purposes there The birds that
introduced the disease in the breed
ing grounds were received from Bir-
mingham, Ala. The next report was
of shipment of sixty-five birds from