46 MITE PARASITES. 



different from that on the fowl, the former being 

 known as variety columbce, the latter as variety 

 gallium. The pigeon variety, I find, will not attack 

 the fowl when put upon it, and vice versa. 



Symptoms of Disease. 



The early signs of Depluming Scabies are first of 

 all a quantity of epidermic scurf and the falling- 

 otf of the feathers in certain areas, the feathers 

 as it were breaking sharply off close to the roots. 

 The disease usually commences at the rump, from 

 there spreading to all parts of the body. The head 

 and neck often become severely affected. I have 

 at present under treatment one of my Dorking 

 cocks, in which the feathers on one side of the head 

 and neck had completely gone, all in about ten days. 



Often prior to any external sign of the presence of 

 these mites, the birds have been noticed plucking the 

 feathers. On pulling out a feather from this area, 

 the base of the quill is found to be full of a white 

 powdery epidermal product, and amongst this the 

 Sarcoptes Icevis live. Here they set up irritation, to 

 alleviate which the fowl pulls out one of the feathers 

 near the area of infection. This is the so-called 

 1 auto- or self-feather eating,' and is due entirely to 

 this mite. The birds undoubtedly render each other 

 service in this matter by plucking one another's plu- 

 mage, to rid the companion of the irritation. Such 

 an observation has been personally made once upon 

 my" own fowls, and such undoubtedly is generally 



