Diseases of Birds. 
287 
Tlie chlorinated lime — i Ih. to the (jalloii of water — is also 
a good and cheap parasite killer. It h;i.s, however, the dis- 
advantage of giving off the clilorine, which escapes in the air 
and, tlierefore, of course, soon losing its action. 
In the case of hiid-cages the}' may he waslied with Jeyes* 
fluid or brushed over with ordinary oil of turpentine. 
In order to tieat the bird effectually no expensive remedy 
is needed. Tiie ordinary petroleum or paraffin oil brushed on 
the affected parts daily, equals all other known medicinal agents. 
Care, however, must be taken with cage birds, none of the dress- 
ing should be allowed to run on to too large a surface of the 
healtliy skin or on to the feaiheis. If paraffin should be objected 
to on account of its odour, equal parts of Peruvian balsam and 
glycerine may be used in place of it. 
All the aflfected birds should be treated simultaneously, and 
the disinfection of the habitaiions only carried out after the birds 
have been dressed a few times. 
Prevention.— careful and not buy birds with a scaly 
condition of the legs or beaks. 
II. 
Body or Feather-shedding Mange. 
There is another kind of sarcoptic mange affecting birds. 
It attacks the body and causes the feathers to fall out. It is due 
to an acarus or mite teinicd the Sarcoples laevis. The female 
has none of the prominences as seen on tiie back of the Sarcoples 
mulans ; but the male has two copulatory suckers. It is a much 
smaller parasite than the one previously described. There are 
three known varieties of this species, viz. : 
Sarcoples laevis var. cohiiithce. 
,, ,, oailincB. 
,, ,, ,, phasiaiii. 
The parasite is found at the base of the feathers, and is 
seen affecting the rump and gradually sureading to the thighs, 
back and abdomen. It also attacks the neck and head. 
There is irritation, which is accompanied by a quantity of 
scurf and shedding or plucking out (if the featiiers, which fre- 
quently break off close to the suriace of the skin, and the 
