The Elegance and 
Horror of Bird Parasites. 
(93) 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
The Elegance and Horror of 
Bird Parasites. 
Written and Illustrated by JAMES SCOTT. 
Parasitism is so universal, important, and 
withal abhorrent a phenomenon that it becomes 
matter for wonder, upon due reflection, why its 
practice was instituted and has been maintained 
so steadfastly, in defiance of the evils attributable 
to it, and the persistent efforts at defence by the 
victims and their protectors. While the general 
law which underlies the advantageous progress 
of life is the survival of the fittest—a theme be¬ 
ginning to show signs of wear and tear, yet one 
of the most valuable to all who deal with any 
phase of nature—the converse appears to be the 
case in regard in pestiferous parasites, whose 
degraded condition and mode of life seem to 
imply that in their own case, at any rate, retro¬ 
gression is desirable in preference to progres¬ 
sion. This view of the subject suggests the 
existence of a completely paradoxical state; yet, 
as I will set forth shortly, parasites are creatures 
which have come down in the world’s struggle, 
and apparently increase to a greater beneficial 
extent because of that very suppression of ability 
and form. 
Right away from spiritual man to the lowest 
of the insects every grade of life is exposed to 
the attacks of innumerable parasites, which exist 
at the expense of their victims’ health and com¬ 
fort. Even the familiar house-fly is worried by 
a parasitic mite, whose power of resistance to 
dislodgement is surprisingly effective. Indeed, 
nearly every species of beast, bird, fish and insect 
possesses a characteristic kind of parasite often 
entirely differing in constitution from its con¬ 
temporaries. Notwithstanding this fact, how¬ 
ever, I suppose that on this occasion I must not 
allow my remarks to wander off into the byways 
of my topic, but confine myself to the birds. 
The Blackbird’s Parasite, enlarged. In the small circle is shown 
one of the four-pronged and feathered claws, much magnified. 
The metamorphosis of the hen’s flea, from a tiny maggot, magnified. 
There are, in a rough way of speaking, four 
distinct groups of insect parasites affecting birds. 
The largest are two-winged flies; the next in 
size are the fleas; then come the lice; to be fol¬ 
lowed by the minute mites. The first-mentioned 
are much scarcer than the others, but notoriously 
troublesome if they gain a footing. They 
generally puncture and lick their victims. The 
second group resemble in general formation, 
bulk, and habits the fleas which infest mankind; 
yet, contrary to popular supposition, are quite 
distinct from the latter, though the variations are 
such that they are only recognisable to trained 
entomologists. The third group occasion, per¬ 
haps, the most actual pain to their hosts, and 
may be regarded as the ugliest of all the unde¬ 
sirable pests. They are possessed of sharp biting 
jaws, and thus nip the flesh instead of simply 
piercing it as do the others. The mites are skin 
borers; but are not considered to be true insects, 
a point which need not now trouble us. 
In this survey of the subject I am giving a very 
representative member from each of these three 
groups, omitting further reference to the fourth 
because I have already dealt with the red-mite in 
* Cage Birds.” There is a peculiar fact, not 
known to those who do not study entomology, in 
relation to the structure of such insects as house¬ 
bugs and fleas. These are, beyond dispute, 
descendants of ancestors which had fully formed 
wings , and, even now, all these repellent crea¬ 
tures have traces upon the sides of their bodies 
signifying proof positive of the assertion. We 
can best understand how this abnormality has 
