564 HORSE, SWINE AND POULTRY DISEASES 



wash. This treatment should be repeated every week when the 

 houses are old and afford good hiding places for the parasites, espe- 

 cially as the Argas americanus, during its early stages, lives entirely 

 upon the chickens. If whitewashing is neglected the young ticks 

 upon leaving the birds to live in the woodwork will form new colo- 

 nies. Dipping has been suggested as a means of ridding chickens of 

 external parasites, but this method of treatment has often been fol- 

 lowed by unfavorable results. (Agr. Dep. Bu. An. Ind. 16th An. 

 Kept.) 



The Nest Bug. This is the most troublesome insect parasite of 

 poultry. It is a sister and smaller species to the too well-known 

 bed-bug Acanthia leetularia. It belongs to the Hemiptera or true 

 bugs. This parasite, Acanthia columbiaria, has a long and sharp 

 beak with which it punctures the skin and sucks its host's blood. It 

 is most common in nests, especially the nests of sitting hens, upon 

 whom it inflicts such cruel torments that the birds are frequently 

 compelled to abandon the unhatched brood. 



Remedy. The nest boxes of laying hens (in hot weather espe- 

 cially) should be thoroughly washed or sprayed with kerosene emul- 

 sion, or pure kerosene, and whitewashed in and outside at least once 

 per month, the old straw or other nesting material burned equally 

 as often. A liberal dusting of the fowls with insect powder or to- 

 bacco dust is very efficacious, and to a certain extent keeps the pests 

 at bay. The nests and boxes of sitting hens should receive same 

 treatment with each successive hatch, and the hens themselves should 

 be dusted at least twice during incubation. Do not use grease or oil 

 of any description on the bodies or feathers of sitters, as the least 

 trace upon the eggs destroys the germ. 



The Bird Flea. The bird flea, Pulex avium, Tg., is more or 

 less common among birds everywhere, but is especially common on 

 the pigeon. It is a slender reddish insect, without spines on head, 

 but shows 24 or 26 on hind edge of next sedgment. 



Treatment. Thoroughly cleanse all houses or coops where 

 fowls roost, and with a sprayer, sprinkler or brush put kerosene 

 emulsion or pure kerosene over the entire inside surface, into all 

 cracks and over all roosts. Dust the fowls affected with insect pow- 

 der, and grease slightly under vent and on heads with same treat- 

 ment as suggested in previous article. Always have at the fowl's 

 disposal a good dust bath. (N. C. B. 131.) 



Gapes. This disease attacks a number of domesticated birds, 

 especially pheasants, fowls, turkeys and peacocks. It is also known 

 to affect the gray partridge, magpie hooded crow, green wood pecker, 

 sparrow, robin, and martin. It was first reported in the United 

 States by Wiesenthal, near Baltimore, where it caused an epidemic 

 in fowls and turkeys. Montague observed it in England in 1806, 

 where it occurred in pullets, pheasants, and partridges. Since then it 

 has been commonly found in America, England, France, Germany 

 and Italy. In England the disease is estimated to destroy 500,000 

 fowls annually. 



