230 DISEASES OF DOMESTICATED BIRDS 
sometimes accelerated. The beak may be kept continually open, or 
only kept open during a long inspiration. The temperature is irreg- 
ular, there being a variation of 3° to 5° F. between the morning and 
evening temperatures. In healthy birds the temperature varies 
about two degrees, that is between 102° and 104° F. Sub-normal 
temperature precedes death. 
In some cases whitish nodules, about the size of a pin head may be 
detected on the buccal mucous membranes and the epiglottis. 
Destructive outbreaks of the disease occur among chicks varying 
in age from a few days to 8 or 4 weeks. It is much more prev- 
alent among artificially reared chicks than among those raised nat- 
urally. 
Death occurs within a few days after the appearance of symp- 
toms and it is seldom that an affected bird recovers. 
Morbid anatomy. In young chicks naturally infected the le- 
sions are chiefly confined to the lungs and air sacs. Less commonly 
nodules are observed on the buccal mucosa. A close examination 
of the lungs will usually reveal more or less rounded nodules aver- 
aging 1.2 mm. in diameter, and yellowish white in color. Rarely 
caseous foci or pneumonic patches are observed in the lungs. The 
lesions on the walls of the air sacs consist of either small tubercles 
or fibrinous exudate. 
The tubercles are composed of epithelioid cells, leucocytes and 
some eosinophile cells, mixed with mycelium. The duration of the 
disease in chicks is so short that caseous degeneration and fibrous 
transformation of the tubercles do not usually occur. 
Etiology. The ostrich is susceptible to several species of asper- 
gillus fungi but the one most pathogenic, and more commonly en- 
countered is Aspergillus fumigatus. A. asper also is pathogenic for 
the ostrich. The fungi are widely distributed among substances of 
importance in connection with the artificial rearing of ostriches. 
Straw may be naturally infected as also lucerne (alfalfa), and the soil 
upon which lucerne is growing. The feces of an ostrich fed upon 
lucerne are infective. 
Pathogenicity. Intravenous injection of ostrich chicks: with 
spores produces a more or less generalized infection in which the 
lungs and liver particularly contain tubercles. Death occurs in from 
2 to 7 days. Inhalation of spores produces lesions in the lungs con- 
sisting of dirty white colored nodules isolated or agglomerated, and 
lesions in the air sacs consisting of nodules. Chicks varying in age 
from a few days to 31 days die in from one to ten days after the 
