LICE. 31 



in the ' Hen -Flea.' There is little doubt but that 

 reproduction takes place chiefly upon the host, 

 although the writer has found on many occasions 

 Menopons in copula in the nests. The two Goniocotes 

 have only been observed in copula on the birds. 

 Although the two Menopons are found often plenti- 

 fully in the nests, they nevertheless spend most of 



«/ J ml 1 



their time upon the fowls. Mallophaga apparently 

 live for a considerable time, for the author has kept 

 M. pallidum alive for nine months on fresh feathers, 

 they seemingly eating the quill-epidermis. 



Jfode of Distribution. 



There are three ways in which Lice are spread from 

 fowl to fowl. Firstly during copulation ; an infested 

 cock will soon distribute the lice to all the hens. 

 Secondly, there is no doubt that anyhow some of the 

 eight species leave the birds and may be found in the 

 nests occasionally, and thus crawl upon the hens 

 sitting subsequently upon the same nest. Thirdly, 

 as Dr. Sharp says : — " Possibly Mallophaga may be 

 transferred from one bird to another by means of the 

 parasitic two-winged flies that infest birds.'"' This 

 very probably does take place, but we must not 

 overlook the fact that the parasitic two-winged flies 

 spoken of, namely the Orrdthobia pallida and the 

 Ornithomyia avicularia (figs. 10 and 11), are not so 

 very common on fowls. They have never been re- 

 corded to me as injurious to any serious extent, but 



