The Gape Worm

Altor a careful invostigütiun in scieutiflc woiks on kindred species oí iuternal parasites, I have come to tlie conclusión that the natural history of the gape worm is as follows: That in the spriug of the year the young poultry, in thcir searcb íor insects for food añiougat decayed vegetable matter, swallow the eggs or very small worms, which in about four or six weeks attain their full size, aud produce their fatal effects. I have, years ago, several timea examinad them under compound miscioacope, as taken out oL the windpipes of poultry that had just died froni the cause. They were alwaya found clustered together, generally between üve and eighteen ín number, of a reddish color, chiefly over half au inch in length ; a few cases of twice this size, cylindricalinform.and.what is curious, in all 1 thus examined were forked or divided at one end, having the appearance of possessiug two heads on long necks, one of which is supposed to be especially used to fasten itaelf the more securely to ita place of lodgment, as may be well known to those who luive endeavored to detach them by means of feathers, thread of horse hairs. They were found to be chiefly females (the males being considerably smaller,) filled with eggs, and having arrived at their growth, now desire to emerge to enter more particularly into rich, moist ground, to n ake their deposits, to re-appear the followiug spring. No doubt if these worms be mereiy killed and tlirown ou the ground. the mature egga will probably remain un injured, and when decomposition sets ín tli young embryo3 will sooner or later escape from the shell, rnigrate into tho soil or some congenial matter, and ultirnately ünd their way againinto the air passages of young poultry