148 OSTRICH-FARMING IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



they acted by piercing tlie woriiij but this mode of treat- 

 ment is now ovit of date. 



It should be borne in mind tliat the tape -worm not 

 only feeds itself through its mouth, but that the whole 

 of its body is provided with absorbent glands that suck 

 in food ; consequently, the longer the worm the greater 

 amount of nourishment its host is deprived of This 

 is very important to the Ostrich-farmer ; as, although 

 it may be doubtful whether with the vermifuges at 

 present known, and their necessarily more or less im- 

 perfect administration by the farmer, he ever succeeds in 

 ridding the birds of the heads of the worms, still if he 

 only rids them of the worms' bodies, leaving the heads 

 fastened on to the mucous lining of the intestines by the 

 two little booklets with which they are provided, he has 

 done a great deal. These heads will in twenty-seven 

 days again have grown a body of several feet in length, 

 from which the joints will begin to detach themselves 

 and to be voided out in the stools to run their separate 

 course in life. Even if this is all that is accomplished, 

 it is much : it gives the bird a sudden start in vigour — 

 very observable forty-eight hours afterwards — and en- 

 ables it to shake off the dropsical tendencies that were 

 setting in, and to rapidly lay on condition. From the 

 inveterate tendency the disease has of showing itself 

 again after a month or two, we cannot believe the germs 



