18 



Farmers' Bulletin 801. 



appearance. It is nearly an eighth of an mch in length and very broad 

 in proportion, as shown in figure 13. The color is smoky gray to 

 almost black, with darker marks on the sides of the abdomen. It 

 occurs on the feathers on various parts of the chicken's body and is 

 remarkably agile for its size. Some call it the "blue bug," hence it 

 has become confused in certain instances with the chicken tick, for 

 which the name blue bug is generally used. 



The browai chicken louse ^ has not been reported to occur in Amer- 

 ica heretofore. Tlie Avriters have taken it in several instances on 



chickens in the vicinity of 

 Dallas, Tex., and Orlando, 

 Fla. This indicates its 

 presence m much of the 

 South. It is somewhat 

 smaller than the large hen 

 louse and reddish bro\Mi 

 m color. It is found on 

 the feathers of the body. 

 None of the three species 

 last discussed has been 

 taken by the authors on 

 yomig chickens. 



LICE ON TURKEYS. 



Four species of lice are 

 conmaonly found on tur- 

 keys in this countr}'-. One 

 of these, which occurs par- 

 ticularly on turkej's asso- 

 ciated with chickens, is 

 the common body louse 

 of chickens. The writers 

 have not found this species 

 in great numbers on tur- 

 keys, but it sometimes 

 becomes sufficiently abundant to cause considerable irritation and 

 doubtless is mjurious both to the grown fowls and to the young. 

 The shaft louse of chickens also has been found on turkeys, but prob- 

 ably does not breed on that host. The other two species seem to 

 be native to the turkey, probably existing on this fowl in the wild 

 state. The large turkey louse ^ (fig. 14) probably is most abundant. 

 It occurs on the feathers on various parts of the body, especially on 

 the neck and breast. The slender turkey louse ^ is a species of good 

 size, though rather elongate, rcsemblmg in shape the head louse of 

 chickens. Normally neither of these species is excessively abundant 



Fig. 13. — Large hen louse {Goniocotes abdominalis): Male, top 

 view. Greatly enlarged. (Herrick.) 



> Ooniodes diaaimilis Nitzsch. 



Gcniodcs stylifer Nitzsch. 



1 LipeuTus polytrapeziiis Nitzsch. 



