Feb. '08] JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. 49 



were necessary. The Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma maculatum, as a 

 larva engorges and drops as soon as the third day from attachment, 

 and in the latter part of September, eleven days were necessary for 

 molting. As nymphs, five days were necessary for engorgement, ticks 

 that dropped November 3d not having molted at the time of writing 

 (December 7). This species is the largest found in the United States. 

 When fully engorged it measures two thirds of an inch in length. It 

 also deposits the largest number of eggs, those from one specimen re- 

 corded numbering 11,265. The Cayenna Tick, Amblyomma cajen- 

 nense, as a larva engorges and drops on the third day, following which 

 eleven days are necessary before molting takes place. As a nymph, 

 three days as in the larva were necessary for engorgement, and fifteen 

 passed before they molted. The adult was found to engorge and drop 

 in seven days. The incubation period of this species seems to be much 

 longer than that of the other two native species studied, eggs deposited 

 the latter part of May requiring five weeks before hatching commenced. 



The species of the genus Ceratixodes are apparently all parasites of 

 marine birds, little or nothing being known as to their life history and 

 habits. Ceratixodes signatus Birula was described from specimens 

 taken from Alaska. It has since been taken from cormorants in Cal- 

 ifornia. Ceratixodes putus Camb. has also been recorded from Alaska. 

 Banks now considers Ceratixodes horeaUs K and N, a synonym of 

 putus. 



The Methods Used in Breeding Ticks. — So far as possible the 

 usual host should be used in determining the parasitic periods in order 

 to eliminate any possible variation from the normal condition. 



In the ticks which pass both molts upon the host, as does Margaropus 

 (Boophilus) annulatus, it is a comparatively easy matter to follow the 

 life cycles, but in the species which drop from the host to molt, as do 

 most of our North American species, it is much more of a task. In 

 these species we must succeed in getting the same individuals to attach 

 to the host and catch them as they drop, three separate times. After 

 dropping each time they must be confined under favorable conditions 

 and frequent examinations made to determine the normal periods of 

 molting and oviposition and the variations therefrom. These periods 

 as well as the incubation period vary with the temperature. In order 

 to present satisfactory information upon these periods, they should all 

 be recorded in connection with the thermometric readings. Thus the 

 following data should be recorded : locality bred, date of dropping or 

 oviposition, date of molting or hatching, total period and total effective 

 temperature. With such data at hand, information from studies in 

 the South can be applied in the North. 



The methods found the most satisfactory for the species attaching 



