DISEASES AND PARASITES OF THE OSTRICH 231 
introduction of spores into the trachea. Ingestion of cultures ad- 
ministered in a gelatine capsule causes the formation of tubercles, 
but no marked intestinal changes. The chicks die in from 5 to 18 
days. 
Dosing with the fungus in a gelatin capsule produced no effect 
upon one bird 41 days old, and upon one adult. 
Transmission. Chicks are susceptible to infection by both in- 
halation and ingestion. Opportunity for infection exists even be- 
fore hatching, for the aspergillus fungus often infects the air sac 
of the egg. It is capable of penetrating unbroken shell and can thus 
pass from infected to non-infected eggs. Thus chicks become in- 
fected before or during hatching, and the incubators become con- 
taminated, constituting a menace to later hatches. Infected straw 
used as bedding in chicks’ sleeping boxes is a serious source of 
infection. : 
Diagnosis. Aspergillosis may be identified by microscopic ex- 
amination of nodules after treatment with potassium hydrate, in 
which case the mycelium and fruiting heads may be recognized. No- 
dules planted on potato and incubated for 24 to 86 hours at 35° C. 
produce small whitish growths visible to the naked eye. After in- 
cubation for a day more the growth appears bluish in color and still 
later turns dark bluish green. 
Control. Prophylaxis of aspergillosis concerns’ securing non-in- 
fected eggs for incubating, non-infected incubators, non-infected bed- 
ding and safe feed for the chicks. 
Treatment. No medicinal treatment is available and all efforts 
against the disease must be centered upon prevention. 
PARALYSIS OF THE OSTRICH 
Synonym. Leg-weakness. 
History. In 1900 Marx observed the disease among Sudan os- 
triches in the Frankfurt Zoological gardens. Robertson in 1909 de- 
seribed a form of paralysis occurring among ostriches near Cape 
Town. The disease is of considerable economic importance and 
seems to be becoming more common. 
Symptoms. The disease is abrupt in onset. There is sudden 
inability to rise, the interference apparently being in the toes, which 
are flexed on themselves at right angles. The birds make futile and 
persistent efforts to rise, and in consequence stagger along on the hock 
joints. After a few days, effort to rise is abandoned and the paraly- 
