Federal chemist reports on insecticide dangers

Abstract

There's been much discussion, and considerable argument, in recent years regarding the effects of crop dusting on game populations. In an attempt to get some of the answers, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been conducting a series of experiments, using captive quail? and pheasants.....By. feeding. specified amounts??of various insecticides, they found how 'much it would take to kill outright all test birds, how much to produce partIal kill, and how much would have relatively little effect. An interesting result? of the experiments was the proof that even non-fatal doses would stunt growth and reduce egg fertility, and that birds were unable to reproduce at all after two generations of exposure to these poisons....Of the cheriricals tested, aldrin and endrin were the most poisonous to the birds. If aldrin were applied at the rate of one pound per acre, each square? foot of ground would have enough poison? to kill two adult quail or 20 two-week-old birds.