COUNTRY LIFE
Stock and Birds In Brazil I came across an echo of the theory that foot-and- mouth disease may be carried by birds. Much the most obvious and one of the commonest of all the Brazilian birds is the urubu, a sort of vulture that frequents especially the towns and wharves. It is the greatest of all scavengers. Any carrion is cleared up with scarcely credible -despatch. To give one particular example, a horse that fell dead was completely cleared up within three days ; and the public authorities are altogether absolved from the need of most scavenging operations. For this reason the bird is strictly protected in the towns. It is, however, destroyed on some of the remoter farms because farmers and labourers are convinced that it brings disease to the stock. It is quite likely that the idea is a superstition founded on little or no direct evidence ; but the belief is at least interesting, for the bird, in spite of its rather ill-omened appearance in many eyes, is a universal favourite and evinces no fear of man.
Previous page
