THE BIOLOGIES AND HABITS OF TICKS 



433 



Pocock. — This tick is a common parasite of man in a large part of tropi- 

 cal Africa. It also feeds on domesticated animals. It lives in the huts 

 and is carried about by the natives in their mats, etc. As the name 

 indicates, it is the carrier of relapsing fever or tick fever of man in 

 Africa. The tick hides and breeds in the cracks, feeding at night. This 



Plate XXVI. Fig. 1 — (Upper left) Larvae of fowl tick under feathers of chicken. 

 Fig. 2 (Upper right) — Unengorged male. Fig. 3 (Lower left)— Female with eggs. 

 Fig. 4 (I>ower right) — Unengorged female. 



species is peculiar in that it does not have an active seed tick stage, 

 the first molt taking place within the egg shell. 



The Spinose Ear Tick, Ornithodoros megnini (Duges) Neumann. — 

 This is an American species. It is an important pest of live stock in the 

 semi-arid Southwestern United States and throughout Mexico. It also 

 occurs in tlie ears of certain wild animals and not infrequently attacks 

 man, producing severe earache. The tick normally attacks deep in the 

 ears of the host. The first or larval stage is very active. This is the 



