162 FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 



tion of the large Antigua Gold Tick, received from Mr. A. D. 

 Michael. The species was then provisionally named Hyalomma 

 dissimile (a Mexican form), but more material was required, 

 as the specimens at Mr. Michael's disposal consisted of two 

 imperfect females which had been forwarded to me before reach- 

 ing the Leeward Islands. 



I have since, at Mr. Michael's request, made full collect- 

 ions of males and females, old and young, of both the Gold Tick 

 and the smaller, common Blue Tick. Ihe resulting determina- 

 tions were interesting. There appears to be a well-founded 

 belief that the Gold Tick was introduced into Antigua from the 

 West Coast of Africa. About thirty years ago some Senegal 

 cattle are said to have been brought over to the Leeward Islands 

 and first disembarked at St. Kitts. Their destination was 

 however Antigua, and upon their arrival here they were found 

 to be infested with a large tick. This, I suppose is the reason for 

 the Gold Tick being also called the St. Kitts Tick, although it 

 is said not to be found in that Island. I mentioned these facts 

 to Mr. Michael, and suggested a particular examination of 

 West Af rican species, having regard to the local tradition. 



Mr. Michael wrote : " St. Kitts Tick. I informed you 

 before that this belonged to the genus Hyalomma, but that, not 

 having the male, and not knowing the colouring, I could not be 

 certain about the species. Having now the advantage of the 

 male specimens and of your discription, and also the young 

 females, I can, I think, identify it with certainty. I was right 

 about the genus, but the species which I suggested it might be, 

 turns out not to be the correct one. I think there is no doubt 

 whatever that your St. Kitts Tick is the Amblyomma venustum 

 of Koch, and would now be called Hyalomma venustum. The 

 interesting part of this is that Koch described and named the 

 species in 1847 from a single male specimen which lie received 

 /rem Senegal. I do not know of any subsequent record of the 

 creature." 



With regard to the common Blue Tick, Mr. Michael 

 writes : " Creole Tick. I am not quite so certain as to the species 

 of this tick. The specimens have not come in quite such good 

 condition as those of the other sort, and it is not such a well- 

 marked species. There seems to be only one male, and I think 

 I can identify it as another of Koch's species. It would now be 

 considered to belong to the genus Rhipicephalus, and I think 

 there is little doubt that the specimens belong to Rhipicephalus 

 concinna of Koch. Koch had two males and two females, but 

 did not know where they came from." — Leeward Islands' 

 Agricultural Journal, July, 1894. 



(To be Continued.) 



