152 Diseases of Pheasants. 



adhering to the hning membrane of the trachea, chiefly near 

 its division into the two bronchii. The majority of the 

 parasites adhere so firmly by their buccal capsule that they will 

 allow themselves to be torn rather than release their hold ; 

 the point to which they are fixed is often formed into a small 

 tumour full of yellow caseous pus. The parasite seems 

 exceedingly fatal to young birds ; Megnin alleges that in an 

 epizootic occurring in a pheasantry at Kambouillet there were 

 about 1,200 victims daily. It is not so fatal to adult birds, 

 and in adult birds very large specimens of the parasite have 

 been foimd during the winter months and as late as the month 

 of March {Field, March 26, 1910) ; these birds would naturally 

 become carriers of the disease and could spread the infection 

 on to the rearing fields. 



The hfe history of the parasite, up to a certain point, has 

 been worked out by many observers, notably, Wissenthal, Dr. 

 Spencer Cobbold, EuiUiet, Megnin and others. Connection 

 between the male and female takes place within the trachea 

 of the bird affected at an early stage of the hfe of the worm, 

 and once connection between the two sexes is estabhshed it 

 continues until the parasite is ejected from the throat or death 

 occurs. The male is fixed to the female by a strong membranous 

 sucker, and so closely is it attached that it cannot be separated 

 from the female without tearing. The eggs of Syngamus, 

 which can be clearly seen in the ovary of the well-developed 

 •female, are elliptoid in shape, measuring -g-^-yin., and in many 

 of them fully formed embryos may be seen. The ova and 

 embryos are not laid, but make their escape by the rupturing 

 of the body of the female, which as a rule is the result of 

 cadaveric decomposition after the worm has been expectorated 

 by its host, and some two or three days after the death of the 

 worm ; but this rupture may occasionally happen while the 

 worm is still in the trachea and before it is expectorated. 

 Both ova and embryo take up their abode in damp ground, or 

 on the edges of pools, or in and around the drinking vessels 

 of the birds, which is a very favourite locality. The eggs 



