174 DISEASES OF POULTRY. 



the red mites, some of which are light yellow in color, 

 but the most are dark red and gorged with blood. 



The existence of such pests as the bird flea and 

 the dove-cote bug can only be determined by careful 

 examination of the poultry -houses and pigeon -cotes. 

 The coleoptera larvae should be suspected in case sores 

 are found upon the breast and neck of young pigeons. 

 When pigeons are troubled with ticks, these parasites 

 are often found attached to the skin on some part of 

 the bird's body. 



When the skin is irritated, inflamed, and covered 

 with scurf, scales and crusts, with loss of feathers, or 

 if the feathers are shed when the birds are not nor- 

 mally molting, an examination should be made for 

 the mites which cause scabies. If the legs become 

 enlarged, roughened, and scaly the effects of the 

 Sarcoptes mutans are indicated. The discovery of 

 small nodules in the skin or of miliary tubercles on 

 the serous membranes, in the connective tissue, lungs, 

 or other organs , should be followed by an examina- 

 tion with a hand lens to determine if these are due to 

 the air -sac or connective -tissue mites. 



Diagnosis. — ^It may be said that the diagnosis or 

 determination of such disorders is easily made and 

 unmistakable, if a careful search is made for the para- 

 sites. In one sense this is true, but birds are often 

 unthrifty, leave their nests, or even die from the ef- 

 fects of lice or mites without the true cause being 

 suspected. People either neglect to look for the para- 

 sites, and attribute their trouble to cholera; or if they 

 observe a few lice they conclude that these are nor- 

 mally present with birds and give them no further 

 thought. It is only after a careful examination of the 

 roosting places by taking down the roosts and remov - 



