THE CHICKEN-MITE ' 87 



with hot water; the perches should be solid, so as to offer no 

 hiding places. In bird-cages it is best, however, to use hollow 

 perches, A^'hich act as traps in \vhich the mites congregate 

 during the day, and from which they can readily be removed 

 by boiling ^vater. There are a number of other remedies, 

 such as the use of insecticidal powders, lime-wash, kerosene- 

 emulsion or kerosene alone, sulphuret of carbon, creolin and 

 others . But no matter which of these substances are used they 

 have to be applied frequently and most thoroughly as the mites 

 can remain hidden without food for many months. In one 

 case specimens v^ere kept for ten months in a glass without 

 food, and the mites, though very feeble, were still living. 

 Hen manure, swarming with such dangerous foes to the 

 sleep and rest of all domesticated animals, has to be removed 

 from stables, or the inhabitants will be infested; in fact 

 poultry-houses should alwaj^s be isolated. 



The Gama.vis sho^wm in fig. 51 'was found in large num- 

 bers in a neglected hen-house, and greatly tormented the 

 inhabitants. It took a long time and many applications of 

 kerosene to dislodge it. 



Prof. Leidy described in 1872 a mite found in the ear of a 

 bull. Many specimens were discovered upon the ear-drum, 

 and hence received the name of Garnasus auris. Mr. Turnbull 

 found them repeatedly in similar situations and believes this 

 mite to be a genuine parasite. 



Other mites, as Ganifuus j)tero])teroides, ^vhich normally 

 are found only in musty fodder, occasionally also reach our 

 domesticated animals and cause all sorts of irritations. 

 Still others, for instance those found in old flour, cheese, 

 dried plums and figs, have been detected repeatedly in sores 

 upon horses and in other places. To sho-w the general ap- 

 pearance of such mites one of the cheese-mites ( Tyroglyph%is 

 long lor Gervais) has been illustrated in fig. 52. This mite, 

 common enough in houses, enjoyed for some time the 

 ephemeral fame of being a human creation, as it was claimed to 

 have been produced by subjecting a volcanic stone, kept 

 moist v^ith a weak solution of silicate of potash, to a con- 

 tinuous current of electricity. This mite, if eaten \^ath 

 cheese, can also cause sickness. Whenever fodder spoils 



