640 DISEASE IN WILD MAMMALS AND BIRDS 
Avian Spiropteriasis. 
This disease concerned parrots particularly but tou- 
cans, pigeons, and such widely separated species of birds 
as the starling, quail, thicknee and barbet have been occa- 
sionally affected. To the naked eye the parasite 
resembles the human hookworm, but differs in location, 
being a resident of the proventricle where it produces 
a swelling of the mucosa which interferes with the passage 
of food. Up to a hundred worms may be present in the 
one bird, and immature forms are occasionally found 
under the chitinous lining of the gizzard. The parasite 
burrows into the mucous membranes, occasionally pene- 
trates quite through the wall into the air sacs, and on 
one occasion induced an adenomatous hyperplasia of the 
mucous membrane, and an adjacent "peritonitis. ' ' Mucus 
is sometimes present in the droppings. Death may occur 
either acutely, or with emaciation. Spiroptera incerta 
Smith (22) is the common parasitic species of parrots, but 
I have found at least one other as yet unidentified species 
in the toucan, and there are probably more. In the 
eight year period 1906-1913 from 25 to 50 per cent, 
of our dead parrots showed this parasite every year, 
the total loss being 113 birds for this period — a most 
important inf estment. 
We approached the problem by diagnosing and isolat- 
ing the infested birds through a microscopic examination 
of droppings, finding that by boiling the droppings in 5 
per cent. NaOH solution we clarified them and made ex- 
amination easier and more certain without at the same 
time destroying the parasitic ova. The result of the ex- 
amination of all our parrots was the isolation of 14 per 
cent, of the parrot population; and as these died off the 
diagnosis of infestment was found confirmed at autopsy 
in every case. The parrot house was thoroughly reno- 
vated and no newly arrived parrots were admitted until 
after quarantining and exami ning droppings for ova. 
(22) Proc. Acad. Nat. 8ci. Phila., 1913, p. 133. 
