284 DISEASES OF POULTRY. 



with plenty of dust or ashes in which the birds may roll 

 themselves." All this is in direct opposition to expe- 

 rience and observation ; for the individual fowl infested 

 with vermin rarely communicates these to the rest of 

 the flock in the same yard, though they be fed and 

 lodged alike — unless there be a constitutional dispositiqn 

 in some of the others to become infected, or chickens 

 receiving them from their mothers as soon as they are 

 hatched. As well might it be maintained, because indi- 

 vidual humble bees and dung beetles are often found 

 infested with lice, that it is owing to starvation or con- 

 finement, though all the other bees in the same nest, 

 and consequently under similar circumstances, as to 

 lodging, shall be free. Is it want of cleanliness, or 

 confinement, which causes so many swallows and other 

 wild birds to be infested with vermin ? 



In trifling cases, when the infection is not very 

 obvious to casual inspection, no particular attention will 

 be ♦required*. In bad cases, the sooner the fowls are 

 killed the better, as there is no certain known remedy ; 

 for even were every one of the vermin killed, the 

 evil state of the constitution would soon attract others 

 to breed. 



Mascall says, '"'they get them in scraping abroad 

 among foule strawe, or on dunghills, or when they sit 

 in nests not made cleane, or in the hen house by their 

 dung lying long there, which corruptes their bodyes 

 and breedes lice and fleas." The corrupting of their 

 bodies, seems a much more probable cause than any of 

 the others. " The remedy," adds he, " ye shall take the 

 powder of pepper, mixed with warme water, and there- 

 with bathe them ; or take fine powder of stavesacre, 

 (staphisagria,) and mixe it with lye, (urine,) and so washe 

 them therewith, or to bathe them in soap water, which 

 is good to kill lyce, or the fine powder of pry vet mixte 

 with vinegar, and so washe them therewith." These 

 directions are as good as any in the more modern 

 books. 



A correspondent of the London " Agricultural Ga- 

 zette," in speaking of this disgusting affliction, says : — 

 ' Some time ago I had a beautiful brood of black 



