The third known outbreak of quail disease has been discovered by the Bureau of Animal Industry in quail sent for examination from the National Zoological Park :Theee birds- Iters- rect-ived-- a- few days ago from two of the principal importers in widely separated parts of the country. Most of the quail now on the market are imported from Mexico and are entered at the port of Brownsville, Texas. Under these circumstances all outstanding permits have been cancelled and further importations suspended for this season.
Quail disease, a highly infectious malady, to which all our native quail are apparently subject, was discovered in 1907 and was traced to a number of States. A second outbreak occurred in 1912, but was checked through the suspension of importation of birds from Mexico from which most of the supply of birds was drawn. Last year practioally no birds were imported from Mexico and no quail disease was reported. This year a limited number of birds have been permitted to enter at Brownsville subject to quarantine maintained through the cooperation of the Biological Survey and the Bureau of Animal Industry. All birds which were suspected of having the disease were examined at Brownsville or forwarded to this Department, but not until January 5 were the first undoubted cases of disease detected. Game commissioners and sportsmen who are interested in the introduction of quail or who may have purchased birds far restocking this season are requested to advise the Department if any of the birds are known to have died from disease of any kind. As a measure of precaution any birds now in captivity should be kept under close observation for a period of at least ten days and. in. case any of them die the bodies should be forwarded- to the Bureau of Animal Industry of the Department of Agriculture for examination.
