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AS POINTED out by Quigley (1944), commercial poultrymen have in some instances associated blue comb or pullet disease with wheat feeds. It has also been pointed out by Quigley (1944), that there is a significant difference in germination between wheats associated with the appearance of pullet disease and wheats which were found to be not associated with the appearance of the disease. Wheat samples regarded as positive for the appearance of pullet disease had a mean germination of 68.3 percent, and those regarded as negative had a mean germination of 89.4 percent. The purpose of this paper is to present evidence that wheats being fed to flocks when blue comb developed have a different microflora from wheats not associated with blue comb. The association of feed stuffs with certain animal diseases is not new, and it is necessary to call attention to only one outstanding and pertinent case—that concerning . . .

THE heavy feeding of wheat in many sections of the country and the continued incidence of “pullet disease” or “blue comb” in widespread areas would seem to justify an interim report and discussion of a limited number of field observations and experimental work conducted by the author at the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station. The condition known as pullet disease (also termed X disease, blue comb, new wheat disease) was first described by Beaudette (1929) but despite the efforts of several investigators to transmit the condition from bird to bird, none appears to have succeeded. The possible exception is Waller (1942) who announced the isolation of a virus from acute cases which was not capable of producing death, hence he was unable to identify the virus as the sole etiological agent in pullet disease. Other investigators have proceeded without success along similar lines, and to the present time it is considered . . .

THE reported success of the chemical dichloro-diphenyl-trichlorethane, hereinafter known as DDT, as an insecticide, and its possible use around poultry houses and hatcheries, prompted an investigation as to its safety and effectiveness. It was observed early in the investigation that DDT was effective against lice, so attempts were made to develop a satisfactory method of flock treatment for these parasites. This work was started in August 1944. Since it is known that mammals and fish show substantial variability to the toxic effects of DDT, it was considered necessary in this work to study its toxicity to poultry, to hatching eggs or developing embryos, but above all to study the usefulness and limitations of DDT, and to acquire experience in its application to practical poultry problems. No experiments were conducted with solutions of DDT in oil and no recommendations are made for the use of this type of material. All data . . .

THE rapid changes in the poultry industry are evident to all who are engaged in it, but they are especially apparent to those whose experience spans 10, 15, 25 or more years. The operation of poultry production and the distribution of our products, is undergoing the same change apparent in most of agriculture,—indeed in almost all kinds of business, and we find fewer units, but larger ones. Both vertical and horizontal integration is coming into the poultry picture very rapidly, and the advent of the contract system of producing turkeys, broilers and eggs has been described as nothing short of revolutionary in agricultural history. The changes which we see are producing concentrations of capital, administrative responsibility, and expenditures for advertising and promotion, which are large and substantial. This is true both within the poultry industry, and in closely allied contributing industries, as feed, equipment, and drugs. In turn this . . .

RESISTANCE to disease is a variable factor. Operating together with changes in organism virulence, it is responsible for the severity of any given disease attack. Experimental evidence bringing more light to bear upon the conditions under which pullorum resistance varies may prove a valuable aid to brooding and flock management. Rettger, Kirkpatrick, and Stoneburn showed that pullorum resistance varies with age. Roberts and Card demonstrated the variation of pullorum resistance caused by genetic factors. These authors determined, among other things, that “Selection was effective in producing strains of domestic fowl more resistant than . . . unselected stocks in respect to infection by Salmonella pullora.” The same investigators also noted an increase of resistance under natural conditions in the presence of infection. They reported that among flocks of the Chia Gi variety in the vicinity of Peiping, China, pullorum reactors were present while no evidence of pullorum infection could be . . .

IN TEACHING, as in research, government, business, and other activities of man, a progressive society must constantly appraise educational techniques, procedures, and policies. Such is the price of progress. One area where appraisal and re-evaluation is in order is the well known procedure known as live poultry judging. Since there can be more than one interpretation of the scope of judging, we will limit our discussion to comparative consideration of evidence of health, productivity of meat or eggs, together with minimum breed requirements to keep our breeds intact. Included are all visible economic factors; excluded are many of the details known generally as belonging peculiarly to “fancy” poultry. The objection to judging that one may hear is that its importance in relation to breeding and genetics has declined, hence by implication, training in judging is a waste of student time and energy. We regret that to us this viewpoint represents …

A 2-year study was made of numbers of body lice, Menacanthus stramineus (Nitzsch), on Maryland Flightless chickens divided into 10 flocks of 11 layers and 1 male per floor pen. Estimates on degree of infestation were made on 5 or more occasions following artificial infestation using a subjective score of 0 to 10. Evidence is submitted of pronounced and consistent variation in louse numbers in the same pen. Significant differences in louse scores in 1960–61 and 1961–62 were found for dam families, but sire families revealed no differences. This suggests a dam influence in body chemistry, or behavioristic characters, or both.

It does not seem to be recognized sufficiently among operators of incubators and other precision temperature equipment that the flexible gas wafer thermostat is affected by barometric pressure as well as by temperature changes. An increase in barometric pressure has the effect of compressing the wafer slightly, this compression acting the same as a decrease in temperature; consequently, the machine responds by building up heat to compensate for the increase in pressure upon the control wafer. This resulting change in the temperature of the incubator is therefore an additional variation to the normal lag between the “make” and “break” of the control mechanism. PROCEDURE The observations herein recorded were made upon a standard, well-known incubator in good mechanical condition. The thermometer used was a number 19245-B made by the Central Scientific Company, and was graduated in 1/10°C. increments, but could be read fairly easily to 1/100°C. increments by means of . . .

Need was experienced for an individual feed hopper suitable for experimental work in laying cages to permit accurate, frequent, and convenient measurement of feed consumption. The hopper (Figures 1 and 2) shown was designed to accomplish these objectives, and it has proven satisfactory in practice. It has high flares on both ends to prevent birds from reaching around or over same to eat from their neighbor's trough. When filled to a level that minimizes feed wastage, its capacity is about 500 gms. The over all length (8″ in our design) must be such as to prevent a bird from reaching between the cage partition and the feeder. The design shown is for the “Hart-ford” laying cage. Other small changes in design might be necessary for other makes, including adjustment of height to permit eggs to roll past the feeder. *

The work of Hoffman (1961), Sherman and Ross (1960, 1961, 1962), Dorough et al. (1961), Furman et al. (1962), outlines the possibility of using systemic insecticides for poultry, but the principal benefit was in the control of larvae of the housefly, Musca domestica L. An exception was Sherman and Ross (1962). A systemic effect, resulting in the death of a mite species was shown for Sevin by Furman and Pieper (1962). Hoffman (1961) reported a partial control of lice after administering Ruelene in a single dose. In the foregoing, comparatively large single doses were used, or when continuous feeding was employed, comparatively high levels of the insecticide were used. Some toxicity was occasionally shown. There would therefore seem to be room for an insecticide to be fed for longer periods of time at lower levels. Certainly there seemed to be a need for knowledge of the control of other species…

The shape of the spur of the capon is in general described as differing somewhat from the cock, notably in being longer and more pointed. Spur growth also is favored in absence of the gonads, see, for example, Goodale (1918), Domm (1927). Goodale considers the larger body size of the capon as due to continued growth of the bones and associated structures and as reflecting the persistence of certain juvenile qualities: this would suggest a prolongation of the growth period rather than accelerations within it. Observations to this effect specifically regarding the spur have not been noted in the literature. The measurements recorded in the present brief communication were planned to compare spur length in the cockerel, slip, and capon at successive ages and also to outline changes of shape developing in the spurs of the three groups at these same periods. For this purpose, in addition to spur length, . . .

The onset of an attack of “bluecomb” or “pullet disease” in a flock of New Hampshires at the Poultry Experimental Farm of the University of Maryland, and the statements of Jungherr (1942) and Beaudette (1942) that poultrymen in their areas may call this trouble “wheat disease” or “new wheat disease,” and a similar and firm conviction in the minds of certain Maryland commercial poultrymen, promoted this preliminary study of the role of wheat in the development of this disease. At the outset it was realized that the elements of an experiment were partially lacking since the condition had been developing in the flock for several weeks before it was definitely diagnosed, therefore, in the affected New Hampshires the comparative effect of wheat versus corn can only be interpreted during the typically long recovery phase of the trouble. The flocks reported are two in number, pen 7 with 99 pullets and . . .

Brief descriptions of a vacuum evaporator, which overcomes the difficulty in decontamination after use with radoactive and toxic metals, and methods for its use are given. (auth)

A field report requested information on the effects of Malathion an organic phosphate insecticide, on egg quality. Harding and Quigley (1956) applied Malathion dust to litter at various rates and found that it did not affect hatchability and residues were not detected in eggs. Gaafar and Turk (1956) dusted three-week-old chicks for four successive weeks with this same compound and they found it did not affect feed intake and no signs of toxicity were observed. The literature does not reveal any investigations on the effect of this insecticide on egg quality. Therefore, it appears that information in this area is pertinent before any conclusions can be drawn on test results. Eight pens, each with a total area of 63 sq. ft., were selected for this study, four of which were treated with 4% Malathion. Each pen contained 15 White Leghorn hens on an all-mash diet. The insecticide was carefully applied . . .

Pseudabbreviata nudamphida gen. et sp. n. from the intestine of a "lizard" from Ghana, Africa, is described. Cephalic characters place this spirurin nematode in the family Physalopteridae between Abbreviata and Thubunaea. It is distinguished by a buccal capsule with distinct telorhabdions, a sclerotized cephalic ring that provides attachment points for stomatal muscles and cuticular inflations, and pseudolabia that form a cephalic expansion and do not bear the amphidial openings. The physalopterid nematode described below was collected in Ghana, Africa, in 19631965 by Nathaniel Rothstein. Fifteen females and three males were collected from five "lizards." (Efforts to obtain more specific information on host, locality, and habitat were unavailing.) Characters of the stoma, teeth, and the number and arrangement of cephalic papillae place it in the Physalopteridae. It can be distinguished from other Physalopteridae by the conformation of the buccal capsule and pseudolabia and is described as Pseudabbreviata nudamphida gen. et sp. n. The nematodes were cleared for study in a solution of 80% phenol and 20% absolute alcohol. Sections were cut freehand with a surgical eye knife and studied unstained. Sections cut at 6 to 8 t and stained with hematoxylin and eosin were also examined. The teeth were studied by splitting the head dorsoventrally after severing it from the body. Drawings were made with the aid of either a camera lucida or a microprojector. Measurements were made with an ocular micrometer and are in microns unless indicated otherwise. Pseudabbreviata, gen. n. Physalopteridae. Head with cuticular collar formed by cervical inflation. Buccal capsule laterally compressed; consisting of protorhabdions and telorhabdions; esophagus beginning posterior to base of telorhabdions. Sclerotized cephalic ring girdling stoma; providing attachment points for stomatal muscles and cuticle of cephalic and cervical inflations. Stoma with bilateral banks of teeth, each consisting of an externo-lateral, an interno-lateral, and 2 submedian teeth; denticles grouped between lateral and submedian teeth and between submedian teeth and angles of mouth; submedian teeth not easily distinguished from denticles. Received for publication 25 June 1968. Vulva near posterior end of esophagus. Male bursa well developed; bursal ornamentation confined to raised pericloacal region. Spicules unequal, dissimilar. Pseudabbreviata nudamphida, sp. n. (Figs. 1-10) With characters of the genus. Buccal cavity as wide dorso-ventrally as deep (Fig. 1). Externolateral teeth weakly sclerotized; interno-lateral and submedian teeth bifid; denticles consisting of 3 to 4 elements (some bifid) in each group (Fig. 4). Each pseudolabium bearing spoutlike openings to 2 large cephalic papillae; notched laterally to partially surround prominence that bears amphid. Amphids not on, and do not open on, pseudolabia (Fig. 3). Esophagus about 1/ body length of male, 1/5 that of female; anterior muscular portion 1/1o length of posterior glandular portion. Nerve ring slightly posterior to middle of muscular part of esophagus. Cervical papillae and excretory pore near division of muscular and glandular portions of esophagus. Cuticle with fine transverse striations. Female (10 mature specimens measured): Body 15.7 to 34.2 mm long; 348 to 556 wide at vulva; muscular esophagus 335 to 509 long; buccal cavity 71 to 107 deep. Anterior end to: nerve ring 255 to 302; cervical papillae 342 to 518; excretory pore 409 to 509; vulva 2.97 to 6.84 mm. Eggs thickshelled, embryonated, oval, 54 to 65 by 30 to 35. Vagina long, composed of vagina vera and slightly longer and thicker vagina uterina. Uterus bifurcates twice, forming 4 branches (Fig. 6). Seminal receptacles bulb-shaped (Fig. 7). Tail curved dorsally 302 to 462 long (Fig. 10). Male (2 complete specimens and posterior 1/2 of another measured): Body 14.6, 17.1 mm long; width near middle 240, 270; buccal cavity 57, 59 deep; muscular esophagus 202, 222 long; glandular esophagus 2.20, 2.33 mm long. Anterior end to: nerve ring 200, 240; cervical papillae 280, 370. Anterior margins of bursal alae do not meet ventrally. Bursal cuticular ornamentation confined to raised pericloacal region; consisting of numerous wartlike structures. Ten pairs of bursal papillae (4 pairs stalked, 6 pairs sessile) and one unpaired, small, sessile papilla in medio-ventral position at anterior edge of pericloacal ornamentation between most anterior pair of sessile papillae (Fig. 8).