16 Georgiiia Sweet : 



confusion, it appears advisable to record these specimens as a 

 new species — viz., Argas victoriensis. Efforts have been made 

 to obtain more specimens of this form from the original source, 

 but so far they have not been successful. All other fowl-ticks 

 so far examined from Victoria, New South Wales and Tas- 

 mania, have been undoubtedly Argas persirus [c.f. Nuttall and 

 others (1908, p. 21)]. 



Argas victoriensis, n.sp. 



iJiagnosis of Species. — Lai'va. Length 1.1 to 1.6 mm. wide, 

 and .96 to 1.6 mm. long, hexapod, and generally a short oval, 

 but sometimes circular in outline, quite fiat. The capitulum 

 is inserted ventrally, but in none of my specimens does more 

 than the extreme tip of the hypostome project beyond the 

 anterior edge of the hood, and as a rule only the tips of the 

 chelicerae project anteriorly (contrast Argas fersicii.s larva) ; 

 the palps, however, may do so, up to three joints or articles 

 being visible from the dorsal surface. The palps are .258 

 mm. long, and slender, the terminal article being much 

 longer than wide. (ComjDare Argas persicus, and contrast 

 Argas vespertilionis.) The width of the capitulum at the 

 widest part of the base, i.e., posteriorly, is .186 mm. (con- 

 trast .160 mm. at this region in A. persicus). The length 

 of the hypostome is .186 mm. (contrast .144 mm. in A. per- 

 sicus). The integinnent has fine transverse parallel wrinkles. 

 Intestinal caeca are well developed. No discs ("pits") are 

 visible. Tlie legs are long and similar to those of A. persicus. 

 Twenty-six marginal hairs are present, extending right round 

 the body and hood. In other respects this form resembles A. 

 persicus. 



Locality. — ^Northern Victoria. 



ADDENDUM. 



Since writing the al)ove, I have received from Professoa- 

 (Tilruth a further supply of fowl-ticks, obtained from the 

 Kiverina. This included seven larvae taken from the bird in 

 daylight, and also some adults, obtained from the walls of the 



