R. T. LEWIS ON IXODES REDUVIUS (lINN.). 383 



2b pair of Kellner eyepieces. After a preliminary examination of 

 their new quarters the female took up a position on the cover 

 glass, the male meanwhile restlessly wandering about the cell and 

 occasionally walking over the stationary female. In the course 

 of half an hour he restricted his excursions to the immediate 

 neighbourhood of the female, subsequently crawling upon her 

 dorsal surface, which underwent a careful examination for several 

 minutes. After several attempts he next succeeded in passing 

 over the posterior margin of the abdomen to the ventral surface, 

 and obtaining a firm hold with all his feet established himself in 

 such a position that the extremity of his rostrum was exactly in 

 contact with the closed orifice of the female organ, which in this 

 species is situated between the basal joints of the fourth pair of 

 legs. The palpi of the male were up to this time closely enfolding 

 the rostrum in the usual position occupied by them when at 

 rest. The next ten minutes were occupied in slowly passing the 

 rostrum and palpi to and fro across the closed orifice, until at 

 length the female, which had remained hitherto entirely passive, 

 began to show signs of responding : a shght, but very distinct 

 alteration in the colour of the surrounding parts took place, this 

 being shortly followed by a relaxation of the peculiar crescent- 

 shaped, flap-like opening. The palpi of the male were now 

 immediately separated as widely as possible, the extremity of the 

 rostrum was inserted under the flap and gradually pushed home 

 until the entire organ was buried to its base. No further change 

 in the situation took place for some hours, but on the following 

 morning I found that the ticks had separated ; they were then 

 removed from the cell for future examination. On three other 

 occasions I repeated the experiment, each time with the same 

 ultimate result, the procedure being precisely the same in every 

 instance except as to time occupied ; but as the winter came on, 

 the ticks became more torpid, and finally refused to take any 

 notice of one another, although several of them remained alive 

 until April of the present year. 



Neumann, in common with most writers, describes the male 

 genital orifice in /. reduvius as being wide and situated between 

 the basal joints of the third pair of legs. There is undoubtedly 

 what appears to be a tightly closed transverse orifice of consider- 

 able width in the position mentioned, but if this really represents 

 the male organ it is clear that when locked in the position 

 described it is impossible for the organs of the two sexes to be 



