816 
Annual Report for 1893 of the Zoologist. 
by which it firmly attaches itself to the inner wall of the trachea or 
bronchus. The male is about one-third of the length of the female, to 
which it becomes firmly fixed — a peculiarity which in some districts 
has gained for the parasite the name of the “forked worm.” 
Life-history . — Soon after this permanent union is established the 
body of the female becomes more or less distended with eggs. These 
are not laid, and only escape by the rupture of the body of the 
parent, or its death and decay. The diseased bird sometimes ejects 
them by coughing, and other fowls may contract the disease by de- 
vouring the ejected ova or worms. It has also been proved that the 
eggs can pass without injury through the alimentary canal of the 
earthworm, and it is probable that these creatures are sometimes the 
means of conveying the parasites into the crops of birds, whence 
they readily migrate into the breathing-tubes. 
Treatment . — On the first indication of attack the affected birds 
should be immediately isolated. They will otherwise cough up 
worms, which will be devoured by their companions, and the disease 
will quickly spread throughout the poultry yard or pheasantry. If 
the disease has not been brought in by imported birds, it has been 
acquired from foul water or mud-pools on the spot, and the possi- 
Fig. 1 . — Syngamus trachealis, natural size and enlarged, with small male permanently attached 
to the female. From nature. 
bility of further harm from such sources should be immediately pre- 
vented. The yard should be disinfected by sprinkling a weak solu- 
tion (1 per cent.) of sulphuric or salicylic acid. The dead bodies of 
affected birds should be at once buried deeply, or effectually 
destroyed. 
The above measures will serve to arrest the spread of the disease. 
If the cure of birds already attacked be attempted, the object of the 
treatment is to induce the worms to loose their hold in the windpipe. 
This is to some extent effected by such drugs as asafeetida or garlic, 
the volatile principles of which are given off by the lungs and affect 
the air passages. Montagu supplied the fowls with an infusion of 
rue and garlic instead of water to drink. The'guin obtained satis- 
factory results by feeding his birds on cakes containing powdered 
gentian and asafeetida. There are various specifics in the market 
which are based upon the same principle. 
Recourse may also be had to the more direct methods of fumi- 
gation or of actual ‘operation, but these, though frequently success- 
ful, are not unattended with danger. The diseased birds are placed 
in a box and cautiously fumigated with sulphur or tobacco smoke, 
care being taken to stop the experiment short of suffocation. Or a 
