232 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



The type specimens in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 

 Cambridge, Mass., are from Nova Scotia and were taken from Moose. 



Hosts. 



The following hosts have been recorded : 

 Moose, elk and horse. 



Had wen (1912) records: 



Cattle, horse, mule and deer (Odocoileus hemionus and 0. 

 columbianum) . 



This is a common species throughout the northern United States 

 and its distribution covers the breadth of Canada. The capture at 

 Hudson Heights, Que. (near Montreal) of specimens on elk imported 

 from the state of Wyoming is an indication of the possibilities of 

 artificial dissemination. These elks were imported in the fall of 1910 

 and were one year old. 



This species of tick does not drop off its host to moult. The 

 records of capture indicate that it is found on the host animals chiefly 

 during the winter and spring months. It is the chief "wood tick" 

 of the early spring. 



Dermacentor alhipictus is not generally considered to be a tick 

 of economic importance, but that this may be an incorrect attitude 

 to assume towards the species is indicated by the following statement 

 made by Bishopp and Wood (1913) in discussing its economic import- 

 ance: "During these investigations we have found the tick to be an 

 important pest of horses and cattle during the autumn, winter and 

 early spring. The tick is much more severe on horses than cattle, 

 mainly owing to the preference shown for the former animal as a host. 

 Reports have been received from California, Montana and Oregon, 

 stating that horses and colts become very weak and that colts not 

 infrequently succumb if the ticks are not promptly killed. During 

 the spring, in territory infested by the Rocky Mountain Spotted 

 Fever tick {Dermacentor venustus), the combined attack of these two 

 species, together with a shortage of feed, often causes the death of 

 numbers of horses where they are not properly cared for." 



Summary of Life-History. 



The non-parasitic portion of the life-history commences in the 

 spring when the engorged fertilised female drops off the host to 

 oviposit. Detached females forwarded to me from British Columbia 

 in 1911 commenced to oviposit indoors in April, each female depositing 

 from 3,000 to 5,000 eggs during the succeeding months of May and 



