Lice Infesting Birds. 99 



liquids of the skin are much less annoying. Yet even these by 

 biting and creeping cause a formication which leads to active rub- 

 bing scratching or biting and to the formation of abrasions, eros- 

 ions, and sometimes even sloughs and small abscesses. Short of 

 these there is habitual erection or shedding of the hair and 

 feathers. 



Symptoms in Horse, Ass and Mule. The bloodsuckers 

 are mostly found where they can get the shelter of long, coarse 

 hair (mane, forelock, tail and neighborhood), and may be sug- 

 gested by the stiff erect hairs, the excess of dandruff or scabs 

 with nits and the intenise itching, which causes violent rubbing 

 against stalls, posts, trees, fences, harness, etc., biting of himself , 

 and appeals to be nibbled by others. On parting the hairs and 

 looking closely into the affected parts the baematopini can be de- 

 tected, usually with the head and proboscis fixed in the skin and 

 the abdomen showing outward. Railliet has seen them in clusters 

 under the epidermis forming little black tumors. The bird lice 

 are less common in solipeds, and are found especially on the 

 withers, sides of the neck and chest, and (less frequently) the 

 limbs. These produce far less itching or irritation than the haema- 

 topinus, and when pruritus is marked it is well to see whether 

 the bloodsuckers or acari are not also present. 



Symptoms in Cattle. The trichodectes are the most com- 

 mon, and though found on all parts of the body produce less 

 irritation than the haematopinus. The latter attacks especially 

 the parts with long hairs, and which cannot be so readily reached 

 with the tongue (roots and tips of ears, the spine, the sides of 

 neck and chest, and the base of the tail). The animal rubs 

 violently on posts and all available firm objects, licks the parts, 

 rubs them with the horns, and with its hind feet. If within 

 reach of the tongue the hair is turned the wrong way or matted, 

 elsewhere it is erect, with round bare patches, of skin, crusts, 

 and scabs. The detection of the lice is conclusive. 



Symptoms in Sheep and Goat. The only species is a 

 trichodectes, which cuts through the wool, leading to matting 

 (clapping), the detachment of tufts and expcsure of the deep 

 whiter layers, and to persi.stent rubbing, biting and scratching. 

 The lice are often in groups, close to the roots of the wool, and 

 the adjacent skin shows spots of red up to Yi inch in diameter, 



