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JOHN E. GUTBERLET 



Between June 20 and August 1, 1913, examinations were made 

 of about fifteen birds at Urbana, 111. Some of these were from 

 the poultry farm at the University of Illinois and others were from 

 private yards of residents in this vicinity; in only one bird was 

 there any trace of an infection. In that case there were a few 

 fragments of worms which were in such a state of disintegration 

 that they could not be preserved or determined. No further ex- 

 aminations for parasites were made in this locality until December 

 2, 1913, when it was discovered that the chickens at the poultry 

 farm at the University of Illinois were badly infested. Several 

 were examined and found to harbor Davainea echinohothrida, 

 Davainea cesticillus, and Hymcnolepsis carioca. 



A general examination was made of the living birds at the 

 poultry farm and it was discovered that symptoms of cestode dis- 

 ease were manifested by the great majority of the chickens, al- 

 though the infection was apparently not heavy except in a small 

 percentage of the flock. 



In making examinations upon dead birds infested with Dava- 

 inea echinohothrida it was found that large nodules were formed 

 in the intestinal wall which is a characteristic pathologic effect 

 of this particular spiny-suckered form. Davainea cesticillus seems 

 to be almost universally present as there was hardly an infested 

 bird examined in Nebraska or Illinois that did not harbor some of 

 this species. 



The following table shows the amount of infection and the 

 number of worms occurring in each bird examined, both in Ne- 

 braska and Illinois : 



