
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, August 4, 1994                   TAG: 9408040069
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: Ray Reed
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

POND SWAN RETURNS AFTER NEST DUTY

Q: We've wondered about the pair of swans on the pond beside Lee Highway. There were a pair last year, and then for a few months there was only one. Now there are two again. Has the original swan returned or is there a new one?

T.M., Roanoke

A: The swans are the same pair you've observed for a while.

Lucy Ellett, who owns that bit of nature in the city with her husband, Frank, said the female was nesting for almost two months.

The male stood guard throughout, and that's the swan people saw during May and June.

The eggs proved infertile, though, and the female abandoned the nest after a long try.

``Maybe next year,'' Ellett said.

One problem could occur in the meantime, though: The widening of Brandon Avenue could take a piece of the pond.

Ellett said they're waiting to see what the Department of Transportation decides.

Bullet trajectory

Q: If you hold a rifle barrel level, does the bullet ever rise?

D.F., New Castle A: Not unless something's wrong, two firearms professionals said.

``Gravity takes immediate effect, and it pulls the bullet to the ground at a standard rate,'' said Bill Conrad, a firearms examiner in the state's forensic science department.

If there are no burrs in the bore to spin the bullet the wrong way, and if the barrel is perfectly straight, the bullet flies on a trajectory that drops according to its speed.

The sight plane of a rifle is designed to have the angle of the barrel send the bullet up slightly so it will arc back downward to the intended spot on the target.

Lead poisoning

Q: How do I find out if I have lead poisoning, besides asking a doctor? I wonder because I've used pewter utensils, drunk from lead-soldered pipes and squashed my share of lead split shot on a fishing line with my teeth.|

|V.H., Elliston A: There really isn't any way to find out except by having a blood test for the presence of lead.

Early symptoms in adults can come and go, but they may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and hyperactivity. Food upsets the stomach, so victims avoid eating.

A lot of conditions can cause these symptoms, so seeing a doctor is the sensible action.

The lead sources you mention are not the ones that cause the most concern.

Lead-based paint on old houses is the No.1 problem, and the greatest worry is for children who may peel it off windowsills and eat it.

Other potential sources include unglazed pottery, and food or juice from lead-soldered cans.

Lead also can be inhaled from sanded paints or burned solder, and even cigarette smoke, according to information provided by the Roanoke Valley Safety Council.

Got a question about something that might affect other people too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.

by CNB