36 Arachnida and Myriopoda 



abandon the premises. A still more serious case is that reported 

 by Dr. Tonnel at La Madeleine in 1906, and it is important 

 because it shows that Argas reflexus is capable of transmitting 

 disease (furunculosis). A house, formerly occupied by a person 

 dealing in fowls, who had kept both fowls and pigeons in the upper 

 part of the building, remained completely empty for four years. 

 At the end of this period a workman suffering from general 

 furunculosis took the house and lived there with his wife and two 

 children. Numerous ulcers and oedematous places set up by the 

 bites of the ticks made their appearance on the bodies of the 

 children, and it was necessary to vacate the building. Shortly 

 afterwards the same rooms were occupied by another workman, 

 together with his wife and three children, and all five of them 

 were affected with the complaint in the same way. A thorough 

 disinfection of the rooms then took place, and the ticks were 

 destroyed, after which the boils and other symptoms disappeared. 

 Although widely distributed in Europe, this tick is a rare 

 species, apparently being very local. It has also been found in 

 North Africa and China ; and a variety occurs in South America. 

 For many years the pigeon-tick has been known to occur in 

 Canterbury Cathedral, but this seems to be the only British 

 locality for it. This species is very tenacious of life ; specimens 

 have been kept alive for more than five years without being fed. 

 It is very difficult to exterminate by chemical means. 



Argas persicus, Oken. 



This species, the fowl-tick, can be distinguished from the 

 pigeon-tick (Argas reflexus) by the presence of quadrangular 

 areas or cells, instead of striations, along the margins of the 

 dorsal surface. 



In Persia the fowl-tick has long had the reputation of being 

 injurious to man. Its bites are said to have serious consequences 

 for strangers, whilst natives are comparatively immune from 

 the ill effects. It is probable that some of the earlier accounts 

 of the deadly nature of the bite of Argas persicus are exaggerated. 

 Still, it seems clear from the evidence of various observers that the 

 bites of this tick, although usually comparatively innocuous, may 

 give rise to feverish symptoms. It is chiefly at Miana and one or 

 two other localities in Persia that sickness caused by this tick 

 has been observed. This supposed complaint is so local that it 

 seems more probable that it is due to the transmission of some 



