INFORMATION CONCERNING THE NORTH AMERICAN FEVER TICK, 
| WITH NOTES ON OTHER SPECIES. 
INTRODUCTORY. ‘4 
It is safe to state that no more important problem than the eradi- 
cation of the cattle tick (Margaropus * annulatus Say) confronts the 
farmers of any country. Not only the cattle-raising industry, but 
the whole economic condition of a large section of country is affected. 
The tick, without any but the most limited power of locomotion, 
and for all practical purposes dependent upon cattle for its existence 
and dissemination, presents a problem in eradication of a hopeful 
nature. Cattle are under the control of man. Therefore, the prob- 
lem is quite different from that involved with other pests, like the 
boll weevil, which by flight spread over large areas of land. In the 
one case absolute eradication is possible and in the other it is out of 
the question. In fact the possibility of the total extermination of 
the tick in this country is by no means visionary. It was foreseen 
originally, probably, by Dr. Cooper Curtice, who wrote as follows in 
1896: ‘“‘L look most eagerly for the cleansing of even a certain portion 
of the infected territory under the direct intention of man, for it 
opens the way to pushing the tick back to the Spanish Isles and 
Mexico, and liberating cattle from disease and pests and the farmer 
from untold money losses. Let your war cry be, Death to the 
ticks.”’> ; 
In view of these facts it is evident that the most complete knowl- 
edge of the habits and life history of the tick is of the utmost impor- 
tance. All means of eradication must depend upon such knowledge, 
and improvements in present methods must depend upon additional 
information regarding the tick. Dr. Cooper Curtice, who will be 
quoted frequently, because he has been among the foremost in the 
study of the problem, has written as follows: ‘‘To the scientist 
studying the tick to learn its life history, habits, form, and anatomy, 
@ Neumann has shown that the generic name Boophilus of Curtice must, in obedi- 
ence to the zoological law of priority, fall as a synonym of the earlier name, Marga- 
ropus of Karsch. 
6 Journ, Comp. Med. and Vet. Archives, Vol. XVII, p. 655, 
