Injurious to Man. 27 



the house for nearly two months — a not very pleasant memento 

 of my first visit to Ceram ..." 



The following details are selected from an account by 

 Mr. S. W. Jackson of the attacks of these Acarids in the Tinaroo 

 shrubs near Atherton, North Queensland, 1908 : " October 31 — 

 In patient silence we waited, enduring absolute torture from the 

 bites of the red scrub animalcule (Lcptus sp.), irritating parasites 

 that can give points to all ticks, sand-flies and mosquitoes in the 

 world." " November 2. — The scrub-itch mites, tiny red parasites 

 hardly visible to the naked eye, punished me severely again 

 to-day; they mostly attack the legs below the knees, and quickly 

 reduce them to a raw state of intense irritation, which was bad 

 enough to make sleep quite impossible, and I found on enquiry 

 that the aboriginals suffer to a similar degree." 



And in his " Wanderings in South America " Waterton says, 

 in explaining the word Bete Eouge : " This horrible little pest 

 much resembles our harvest bug in colour, size and habits. It is 

 a minute species of tick belonging to the genus Leptus, and causes 

 the most violent irritation when it attacks a human being . . . 



Family— CHE LE TIDAE. 



Three specimens of a Cheletid mite {Acaropsis mericourti, 

 Laboulbene) were found by Leroy de Mericourt in pus from the 

 ear of a sailor. It is probable that the occurrence of this mite in 

 the pus was only accidental, for the mites of the genera Acaropsis 

 and Chcletus are predatory forms, feeding on other minute 

 mites, etc. The typical members of this family have greatly 

 enlarged subchelate palps, which are used for seizing their prey. 



Family— TE TBANYGHWA E. 



It is to this family that the forms called "red spider" by 

 horticulturists belong. The Tetranychidae or spinning mites are 

 very injurious to cultivated plants. The mandibles are styliform 

 in the Acari of this family. 



Genus — Tetranychus, Dufour. 



A mite of the genus Tetranychus (T. telarius, var. msseolus, 

 Koch) found on Plane Trees in Paris is accused by Artault 

 of bsing troublesome to human beings. Workers trimming the 



