2^0 I'UOC'KKDiyos OF THE ACADEMY OF [ISDO. 



it to be the Amhlyomma americanum of Koch, indicated earlier bv 

 I^iuiucuri as Acarus aviericanus. There is mucli uncertainty in the 

 knowledge of our Ticks. Koch ascribes nine species to North Amer- 

 ica, referring them to the genera Amblyomma, Ixodes, and iJeriiiacen- 

 tor ; the last belonging to Pennsylvania. Say describes six other spe- 

 cies of Ixodes, Packard two and Riley one. Say's Ixodes seapularis, 

 which the author says is common in our forests and attaches itself to 

 various animals, seems to approach closely the Beach Haven Tick, 

 and Riley's Ixodes bovis also seems to accord pretty well, judging 

 from the figure and charactei's given. If, however, the latter at 

 maturity is half an inch long as stated by Packard, it is most pro- 

 bably a different species fz'om the Ambh/omma americnmim. He 

 had in his possession a Tick, distended with blood, half an inch in 

 length, which came from Camp Sheridan, Nebraska, agreeing in all 

 respects with those from Beach Haven. 



Amblyoynma ditiers from Ixodes in the possession of eyes; and he 

 was by no means satisfied that the Beach Haven Ticks possess such 

 organs, unless they form the prominent posterior angles of the head. 

 The Ticks have been supposed to feed on vegetable matter, until they 

 reach maturity. As the mouth organs of the larva do not differ 

 from those of the adult, he thought this doubtful. 



In the American Entomologist 1870, p. 160, Seed-Ticks found 

 under the bark of apple trees, are stated to be the young of one of 

 our most common wood-ticks, Ixodes unipnnctata, but he thought 

 this has not been positively determined to be the case. 



He had been repeatedly told of a minute tick, commonly called 

 the Seed-Tick, not uncommon in our vicinity, which attacks man, and 

 buries itself beneath the skin. He had sus[)ected it to be the young 

 0^ Ixodes, but had no opportunity of determining the question. 



Note : — The following day, September 24th, the young Ticks 

 appeared generally less active and many were motionless and seemed 

 dead. Thirty active ones were placed on the inner side of his fore- 

 arm, and there retained for ten minutes, but as they wandered about 

 aimlessly and with no apparent disposition to attach themselves, they 

 were removed. 



Though the young Ticks had not fed they actually seem to have 

 grown, for at the present time they generally measure 0"725 mm. in 

 length by 0'45 mm. in breadth. 



The adult male and female appear about the same size, for the 

 two range from I to ye of an inch in length. One of those dis- 

 tended with blood measured -h of an inch long by je. in breadth; 

 and similar specimens after having laid their eggs had shrunken 

 to tV by tV. 



Finely the same day the Ticks were placed in alcohol for pres- 

 ervation. 



