238 



tions may l)ring out some of the above-mentioned con- 

 ditions. A certain dairyman liad kept liis cattle and 

 farm free of ticks for several years. He bought some 

 new cattle, which were infested with ticks, and placed 

 them in his herd. In due time his home-raised cows be- 

 gan to die witli what he called "reil water," which was 

 Texas fever. Another man sold his entire herd of cat- 

 tle that had been kept free of ticks; these cattle were 

 moved just a few miles, and in a short time many of 

 them died of Texas fever. Parties who buy calves or 

 feeders from various farms in a neighborhood, beat op 

 county, nearly alwaj^s lose several some time after the 

 calves or feeders have been brought together in the new 

 feeding pens or pastures. 



It might be well to state here that Hunt of Australia 

 claims that some cattle ticks do not possess the micro- 

 parasite of Texas fever — especially in a virulent form. 

 This might explain some of the outbreaks of Texas fever 

 among Southern-bred cattle in herds that are collected 

 from many different farms or pastures. But so far as 

 I know, all ticks of this species in the United States that 

 have been tested, have been able to transmit the micro- 

 parasite; and no positive facts have been discovered that 

 show that the micro-parasite will vary in its virulency. 

 Hence we must regard all ticks of this species as carriers 

 of the Texas fever micro-parasite. 



THE SOUTHERN CATTLETICK(/?oop/w/?/.5 hovis.Rilej), 

 is said to be a native of Northern Africa, and reached 

 the Southern States hy way of Spain, South America, 

 Central America and Mexico. The life history of this 

 tick, as discovered by Cooper Curtice, is described as fol- 

 lows : 



The large female tick (the one so easily observed on 

 cattle) drops to the ground when filled with blood from 



