12 



THE AMEKICAN MONTHLY 



[January, 



of a pin to that of a small pinhead. 

 On removing a small portion of this 

 colored matter, and viewing it under 

 a suitable power of the microscope, 

 I found it to consist of living mites 

 [Acar/) in various stages of growth. 

 I next removed a small portion of 

 the lung tissue, and placing it under 

 the microscope, here again discover- 

 ed several living mites. Another 

 portion was removed from the lungs, 

 not exceeding half a grain in weight, 

 when three more mites were dis- 



FiG. 7. KiG. 8. 



CytoleichusSarcoptoides. Laminosioptes Galliporum. 



covered. These last were so lively 

 that it was difficult to keep them 

 long in view without changing the 

 stage . 



This mite closely resembles Cyto- 

 leichus sarcoptoides Megnin. Al- 

 though this species has not hitherto 

 been found in America, it is known 

 in Europe, and has been found in 

 such habitats as above described ; 

 and Megnin. states that it causes the 

 death of wild and domestic fowls. 

 He says that they are found in the 

 air passages of the lungs, in the 

 bronchial tubes and their divisions, 

 in the bones with which the air sacs 

 communicate, and in other cavities. 

 They are also fovmd in the bronchi 

 of birds, and, when they are ex- 

 tremely numerous, cause titillations 

 of the bronchial mucous membrane, 

 indicated by a slight cough, in some 

 cases causing symptoms of asphyxia, 

 and of congestion, to which the 

 birds may succumb. He instances 



an example in the case of a pheasant 

 which died of an vmknown disease, 

 and in which, when dissected, this 

 obstruction of the bronchi was well 

 manifested. 



I think it probable that these mites, 

 after they have effected a lodgment 

 in the lungs, bore through the pleura 

 and invade the thoracic and abdomi- 

 nal cavities, where they breed in 

 large numbers, producing great irri- 

 tation, and ultimately the death of 

 the fowl. 



About two months after the dis- 

 section of the fii'st fowl in which I 

 found the mites already described, a 

 second fowl in a moribund condition 

 was brought to me for examination 

 by the same gentleman who brought 

 the first. The comb of this fowl 

 was also highly engorged with blood, 

 and the tips black. Its crop was 

 greatly distended. It was unable to 

 stand up, breathed with difficulty, 

 yet exhibited considerable strength 

 when about to be killed. It had been 

 sickly during the previous f o u r 

 weeks. I took the precaution in this 

 case to remove the skin so that I 

 could examine the cellular tissue 

 when I observed great numbers of 

 small, white, opaque specks, of va- 

 rious dimensions, varying in .size 

 from the one-hundredth of an inch 

 to the one-twelfth of an inch in di- 

 ameter. When viewed under the 

 mici'oscope, the tissue showed within 

 its folds and cell structure numerous 

 mites which proved on examination 

 to be Laminosioptes gaUinormn 

 Megnin. F u r t h e r investigation 

 showed that the opaque markings 

 above alluded to contained, in man}- 

 instances, the remains of one or 

 more of these mites. The substance 

 of the opaque specks was calcareous. 

 The habitat of these mites seemed 

 to be confined to the cellular tissue 

 wholly. I examined the viscera and 

 cavities of this fowl, but found 

 neither living mites nor their re- 

 mains, or calcareous specks. 



Megnin states that in Europe this 

 acarus has been found in all turkey 



