21 



and it is not known to cany malaria ; it occurs in Guatemala, Mexico, 

 Cuba and Jamaica. A. crucians, Wied., has a southerly and easterly 

 distribution in the United States, ranging as far north as Long Island. 

 It is called the '" daylight anopheles " in America, and is a great 

 nuisance to travellers on the Mississippi. It occurs in Cuba, and 

 specimens have been found in Jamaica, at Montego Bay, Black River, 

 and Annotto Bay. This mosquito is known to carry malaria. Since 

 the antimalarial crusade there has been a marked improvement in 

 conditions generally over the island. 



Laurie (D. F.). Parasites o[ Poultry. — Dept. Ayric, S. Ausfmlia, 

 Adelaide, Bull no. 80, 1913, 24 pp., 34 pis. 



In this paper the author follows up his researches into the life- 

 history of the poultry tick [see this Review, i, Ser. B, p. 23], with 

 descriptions and illustrations of other ecto-parasites affecting poultry, 

 which often cause serious losses. Poultry infected by parasites are 

 prone to disease, because they become weak through loss of blood in 

 some cases, and through the effects of irritation in others. Ecto- 

 parasites may act as carriers and distributors of disease organisms, 

 as is known to be the case with the poultry tick. 



Denrianyssxs gaUinae, Redi, a Gamasid mite, has the rostrum 

 arranged for pricking or sucking. This species is commonly known 

 as the red poultry mite, and is essentially nocturnal, living in the day- 

 time in cracks, under the perches, etc. It seems to be a cosmopolitan 

 parasite, and is troublesome wherever poultry are kept. These mites 

 have not yet proved to be carriers of harmful organisms, but the 

 extraordinary numbers in which they congregate, and their rapacitv 

 as blood-suckers, soon lead to an anaemic condition of the infested 

 birds. To eradicate red mites from a poultry house, various insecticides, 

 which kill them at once, can be used, and like the tick, they succumb 

 to kerosene. Sitting hens require to be periodically examined for 

 these pests. The use of wooden nest-boxes is to be deprecated, for 

 if infested, they will need saturating with kerosene emulsion or some 

 other insecticide. It is a common practice on farms to allow poultry 

 to roost in sheds w^here cattle and horses are fed. Neumann quotes 

 a case where the inner ear of a cow was found to be invaded by Der- 

 manyssus, which had tunnelled through and were the indirect cause 

 of death. Formalin in K) per cent, solution is a very effective remedy, 

 and maybe freely used for farm sheds, bird-cages, poultry-vards, etc., 

 to eradicate this parasite. 



The poultry lice are not blood-suckers, but feed either on the feathers 

 or on portions of the epidermis : however, when present in numbers, 

 they undoubtedly irritate the skin, and may cause serious loss of 

 condition, and even death. Ordinary good insect powders shaken 

 freely among the feathers will destroy these parasites. The appli- 

 cation of kerosine (one part) and olive oil (three parts) is effective, 

 but subsequent contact with dust gives the oiled feathers a dirty 

 appearance. Any good dip — kerosine emulsion, 10 per cent. : formahn 

 2 per cent. ; or coal-tar by-products, 2 per cent, to 5 per cent. — will 

 destroy both parasites and eggs. Menopon pallidum and M. biseriatum 

 are mentioned, the latter occurring also on the turkey, pheasant and 

 pigeon. Goniocoles giyus, Tasch., has also been found in South 



