C8 OUR DOMESTIC FOW LS. 



of destroying these worms is by putting the 

 birds in a box, and making them inhale the 

 fumes of tobacco, blown into the box through 

 the stalk of a tobacco-pipe. A pinch of salt 

 put as far back into the mouth as possible, is 

 also said to be effectual. The worm in ques- 

 tion is the Syngamus trachealis, or Distoma 

 lineare. It consists of a long and a short body 

 united together ; the long body is the female, 

 the short body the male ; each, were it not 

 that they are permanently united together, 

 being a truly distinct individual. How these 

 noxious parasites become introduced into the 

 trachea of gallinaceous birds is a mystery. But 

 such is the fact. The fowl will breed, as is 

 well known, with the pheasant, but the hybrid 

 progeny is destitute of beauty, and not worth 

 attention. 



Hens are frequently to be seen which have 

 assumed the plumage and spurs of the cock, 

 and which imitate, though badly, his full- 

 toned crow. In these cases the power of pro- 

 ducing eggs is invariably lost, from internal 

 disease, as has been fully demonstrated by 

 Mr. YarreU. — See Proc. Zool. Soc. 1831, 

 p. 22, and Phil. Trans. 1827. 



There are instances on record of poultiy 



