ijS 



I'ori.rin- disi'ASKS and tiii;ik tki-atmivNT. 



"J^ifc-history of IJcc. — .All llie lice hrccd fairly rapidly. The 

 cgj^s or nits arc laid upon the down fcatlnr^, a> a rule; tiny arc 

 often licautifully sculptured objects, oval in form. In about 6 

 U: lo days they hatch into small. ])ale, acti\e lice, which at once 

 Commence to irritate the bird>. Tlie adult> are occasionally 

 fi und in the ncst.s. Some sjKcics are found copulating in tlie 

 nests, others always on tlie birds. They live a con>ideral)lc 

 time. Mciiopoii pallidum (Fig. 24) has been kept alive for 

 months upon fresh feathers, the quill epidermis being especially 

 eaten. Hefore reaching the ftdl-grown state as many as 10 or 

 12 moults apparently take place, there being little dififerencc in 

 each stage, except the gradual darkening of the markings.'' 



The eggs or nits of hen lice are shown in fig. 27. 



Fig. 2"/. Foatliers ^hdwiiig eggs or "nits" <if tlie common hen loii.'^e. 



Enlarged (Original). 



Methods of Introduction and Infestation. — It is generally 

 agreed that lice and other parasites Hourish best in insanitary 

 surrotmdings. There mtist. however, be a source of infesta- 

 tion. Lice are brought to a new place b\^ introducing infested 

 birds. They .spread from bird to bird (a) directly during copu- 

 lation (an infested cock often infests the whole flock), or (b) 

 wheti two hens occupy a nc.st together, or (c) from mother to 

 chick. They also pass indirectly from bird to bird by crawling 

 off one bird first on to the nesting material and later on to an- 

 other l)ird whicli uses the same nest. Doctor Sharp has also 



