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Show STRYCHNINE POISON BAITS IK) NOT HARM GAME BIRDS The assumption that game birds may be killed by grain poisoned with strychnine c.ml distributed to v.. rodent pests has been found, by '.:,. biological survey of the Ur. '.d. States department of agriculturo ii: be without foundation. Feet':ii tests have shown conclusively ilia' the gallinaceous birds as a group including quail, the prairie hen sharp-tailed grouse, and sage gr us1 possess a certain immunity fro'i' strychnine poisoning. A striking test made several at-ago at-ago in California, definitely pre -i that barley, poisoned according the bureau's standard ground-sg rel formula in use in that state, imo no effect on the abundance of r.it valley quail. These birds were p .n tiful and remained so in areas w..ic!i were heavily poisoned. Not a sins': dead quail was found, nor were .my observed showing symptoms ! strychnine poisoning. Quail su '.:?' quently shot showed that they hail been eating the barley to a 11m '!.- extent. Some of the birds were :? tured and fed a poisoned mixtur- i i barley. One adult quail ate i:i kernels of this poisoned barley ir 'I : hours with no sign of ill effort This grain would have killed tw ; ground squirrels. More recent tests conducted mil-stantiate mil-stantiate the earlier experimc :i:-Birds :i:-Birds have eaten as much as 300 kn nels of poisoned wheat without i.V slightest evidence of ill effect. T!ir did. however, indicate strong dis':x for the poisoned grain. Grain oned to kill rabbits had no effect ji: sage hens feeding in great numl v in corn and bean fields in Wyoming. It seems evident, therefore, that tears for the safety of game b.i.is from strychnine-poisoned baits o:e not well founded. |