THE FOWL TICK. 49 
ment eggs were deposited as soon as the second day. In several 
instances ticks did not oviposit until they had fed a second time. 
When this occurred in the summer it is thought to have been due to 
the fact that they had not mated, as females which remained for 
several weeks after engorging without depositing eggs commenced to 
do so very shortly after being placed with males. In the winter, 
however, in some cases females when with males remained for long 
periods without depositing, but when fed a second time began deposi- 
tion. During these long preoviposition periods the females flattened 
considerably, the blood evidently being used by the tick to sustain 
life rather than in the production of eggs. 
As is shown in Table IV, the greatest number of eggs deposited by 
any of 21 ticks observed following the first engorgement as adults was 
195. The greatest number deposited by any of 21 ticks observed 
following the second engorgement was 237, and the greatest number 
deposited by a single tick following the two engorgements, 401. 
Following the third engorgement 245 was the largest number of eggs 
deposited by any of the 21 ticks observed. The greatest number of 
eggs deposited by any one tick following the first three engorgements 
was 646. The greatest number of eggs deposited by any one of the 20 
ticks which were observed following the fourth engorgement was 228. 
_ Nine ticks deposited following the fifth engorgement, the greatest 
number of eggs deposited by an individual being 201. Although four 
ticks engorged the sixth time only two of these oviposited. One of 
these deposited 43 and the other 148 eggs. Only one tick engorged 
and deposited the seventh time, 47 eggs being deposited. The largest 
number of eggs deposited by any individual during its entire life was 
874, the average number of eggs deposited per tick by the individuals 
observed being 537. The tick which deposited the largest number 
of eggs engorged five times and deposited four lots of eggs. The 
number of eggs deposited by any individual seems, in most cases, to 
be directly in proportion to its size. The average number of eggs 
deposited by an individual after each engorgement, based on those 
that oviposited, is as follows: First, 131; second, 159; third, 133; 
fourth, 110; fifth, 97; sixth, 95; seventh, 47. In observations pre- 
viously recorded by Hunter and Hooker (1907) 274 eggs were 
deposited following a single engorgement. This record was based 
upon a tick which was adult when collected. The largest number of 
eggs deposited after a single engorgement by any individual observed 
by us was 237. 
As is shown in Table IV, oviposition at summer temperatures may 
commence as soon as the third day after engorgement, or may be 
delayed for weeks if mating has not taken place. In the greater 
number of cases, however, it took place in from 4 to 10 days. Although 
the period of oviposition in one instance in which only a few eggs 
21448°—Bull. 106—12——4 
