DISEASES OF POULTRY. 285 



Spanish chickens, and the day after they were hatched, 

 I happened to take one in my hand, and was much 

 struck by observing on the top of its poll five or six 

 large full-grown lice, evidently caught from the mother. 

 I then examined the whole brood, and found them all 

 similarly affected. Knowing that they would not thrive 

 until I had dislodged or destroyed the enemy, the next 

 day I attempted to pick them out; but I found that, 

 having only been left one night, the whole poll was 

 covered with nits, and I could not git rid of them from 

 their hanging so tenaciously to the down. I procured 

 some white precipitate powder, and, with a small camel- 

 hair pencil, powdered them over. On examining them 

 the next day, I found the parasites had all disappeared, 

 nor could I detect one in their after growth. They 

 grew and thrived so remarkably afterwards, that I was 

 convinced this was a valuable discovery, and have ever 

 since treated all my broods the same, and have never 

 lost one from sickness. All hens are affected with these 

 parasites, and as they do not dust themselves so fre- 

 quently during the time of incubation, they are more 

 liable to them. I have ascertained from observation, 

 that as soon as the chickens are hatched, these pests 

 leave the parent for the young, and if they are not 

 destroyed, they weaken the chicken so much, that if any 

 complaint comes on, the poor little thing has not 

 strength to contend with it. The best time to apply the 

 precipitate is when they are two or three days old, and 

 at night after they are gone to roost ; but the hen must 

 not be touched with it ; as, in pluming her feathers she 

 draws them through her beak, and the precipitate being 

 a strong poison, would no doubt prove fatal to her. In 

 fact, there is no occasion for it ; as I could never detect 

 them in her ; they had no doubt left her for the young. 

 A very small quantity should be used ; as one penny- 

 worth, purchased at a chemist's, is sufficient for several 

 broods." 



A slight application of spirit of turpentine and water, 

 in trifling cases, answers the same purpose, and is pre- 

 ferred by many persons who have a natural dislike to 

 the use of poison. 



