86 THE CHICKEN-MITE. 
cause great irritation, sores, and scabs, and cases are known 
where they have settled permanently upon birds, chiefly 
pigeons, and upon the cat, killing these animals in course of 
time. As they are nocturnal in their habits they are not 
often found upon the tormented animals during the day, but 
as soon as it becomes dark they leave their hiding-places to 
2%) 

Fig. 51.—Gamasus spec. Mite and leg greatly enlarged. Original. 
suck blood. They obtain this by means of very keen 
mandibles, and if at all numerous they extract considerable 
quantities of it and thus become very injurious, even fatal to 
younger or weaker birds. Even when not very numerous 
they prevent the fowls from sleeping at night, and not in- 
frequently force setting hens to leave the eggs. They have 
also been known to enter the nasal cavities of birds, causing 
a severe inflammation. 
REMEDIES.—Cleanliness is always the best preventive. 
The houses and cages must be washed from time to time 
