320 HEALTH, DISEASE AND ENEMIES 



damage. These mites live on the quills of the feathers, and 

 are most numerous just at the point where the quills leave 

 the body. On the birds affected there will be areas where 

 the feathers are either thin or entirely wanting. Close exami- 

 nation will reveal that they have not been pulled out, but 

 broken off, and the edges are frayed. The damage which 

 these mites do is most detrimental to the appearance of the 

 birds. The best way to get rid of them is to anoint the 

 birds affected with carbolated vaseline, especially the parts 

 where the mites seem to be at work. The vaseline should 

 contain at least two to three per cent of carbolic acid. 



Scaly Leg Mites. The scaly leg mite is one of the 

 smallest of the true poultry mites. These mites infest the 

 shanks of the bird, and, as they burrow underneath in their 

 process of development, they throw out a calcareous sub- 

 stance, yellowish in color. As they multiply this deposit 

 rapidly increases, and forms scales which, if allowed to de- 

 velop, will entirely cover the outside of the leg. The de- 

 posit is especially harmful because it sometimes makes the 

 legs misshapen and unsightly. The birds, too, are likely 

 to become lame and useless. If no steps are taken to kill 

 them, these mites rapidly multiply. Birds with scaly 

 legs should have individual treatment. The affected leg 

 should be soaked in lukewarm water, for five or ten minutes, 

 until the scales become soft, when the white deposit should 

 be scraped off with a very dull knife, until the legs bleed 

 slightly. The shank should then be anointed with carbolated 

 vaseline. If this is done two or three times, a complete 

 cure will be effected. In scraping the legs, be careful not 

 to go so deep as to mar them permanently. 



ENEMIES OF POULTRY 



The enemies of poultry are many, and include both preda- 

 tory animals and birds. The following are a few of the most 

 common ones for which to be on the lookout: 



