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The thanks of the meeting were unanimously voted to the donors. 



The following gentlemen were balloted for, and duly elected, members of 

 the Club :— Mr. J. H. Keene, Mr. H. T. Kluht, and Mr. F. K. Morrell. 



Four gentlemen were nominated for election at the ensuing meeting. 



The Chairman announced that the Annual Soiree of the New Cross 

 Microscopical Society would take place on April 10th, and asked for the 

 co-operation of such members of the Quekett Microscopical Club as could 

 make it convenient to attend. 



The Chairman read the following communication from the Rev. J. Bram- 

 hall, on the subject of the " Blyborough Tick:" — "I was much interested 

 in Mr. George's paper and illustrations of the ' Blyborough Tick,' and have 

 no doubt about its connection with the Bat. In 1875 I found, in a seat in 

 my church, one of these creatures in company with two genuine Bat bugs. 

 Another tick was brought to me, having been taken from the shawl of a 

 lady who sat in the same seat ; indeed, this led to my examination of the 

 Beat, which for some time had been constantly covered with the excrements 

 of bats. In order to put an end to this nuisance, our churchwardens took 

 up a portion of the lead on the roof above the seat, and, in a very small 

 space, took out from between the lead and boards of roof no less than 287 

 bats of various kinds — large, small, and eared, I believe. Unfortunately I 

 was from home at the time, and all the ' vermin ' were destroyed — a fact 

 which greatly vexed me when I heard of it, as no doubt I should have 

 obtained a large quantity of both ticks and bugs. The shape of the 

 creature, together with the markings, and form, and locality of the 

 spiracles, make me sure it is the same as those found by Mr. George at 

 Blyborough. I marked mine ' Ixodes of Bat,' but shall alter it to Argas 

 Fischerii, as that seems to be its true appellation. Some years ago a 

 friend gave me a small ' parasite of bat,' which I take to be a young Argas. 

 I believe he took it off the bat. It has only six legs, and the shape of the 

 body is rather different to the adult insect. I expect the fourth pair of legs 

 would be produced from the shoulders, and so fill up the circularity of the 

 body. This one is mounted, after soaking in turpentine only, and shows 

 the caeca perfectly. I rather spoiled those I found by too much liq. pot., 

 as all the contents of the body are gone ; still, it is a beautifully marked 

 skin, and shows the spiracles. The flea of the bat is worth mounting, and 

 Bo is the bug, which is a delicate form of our detested enemy the B. flat. 

 I can see very little difference between the pigeon bug and the B. flat, 

 though I am told there is a difference. What is the best work on 

 Ticks ?" 



Dr. M. C. Cooke said it might be worth mentioning in connection with 

 the remarks in the letter as to the nnmber of legs, that most of the 

 creatures of that family had six legs in the early stages of their lives, but 

 that after the second moult they had eight legs. Enquiry was made as to 

 some work of reference on the subject of Ticks. He did not think there 

 was anything better than Koch's " Deutschlands Crustaceen." There was 

 also a very good work in French — Walckenacr's " Apteres " — one of the 

 " Suites de Buffon." 



