60 Psyche [April 



A CURSORIAL TICK. 



By Wm. M. Mann, 

 Bussey Institution, Harvard University. 



During March and April, 1914, while traveling across the Sin- 

 aitic Peninsula and Arabia Petrase with Dr. John C. Phillips, 

 my attention was frequently attracted by the actions of a large, 

 long-legged tick, which was one of the commonest Arthropods in 

 this region. The vegetation here is very sparse, and mostly in the 

 form of scrubby bushes, a couple of feet high which grow singly or 

 in small clumps, at the bases of which sand collects, forming 

 little hummocks. Most of the insects which we saw were among 

 these bushes or in holes in the sand during the heat of the day. 



While walking about searching for specimens, I often noticed 

 that ticks came out from these hummocks and followed me. It was 

 possible to attract them out by stamping on the ground in the 

 vicinity. If I changed my direction they would do likewise, al- 

 ways at a frantically rapid pace, about equal to the slow walk of a 

 man. It seemed ridiculous to be pursued in this manner by ticks, 

 and I often walked slowly about, watching them follow. As long as 

 I remained within a distance of ten or twelve feet they would 

 continue the pursuit. Those which I permitted to reach me 

 crawled about for a little while and then dropped off without biting. 



This habit of running after its host is so different from the watch- 

 ful-waiting policy of most of our ticks that it seems worthy of 

 record. It is a habit that adapts this species to desert life, with 

 its absence of trees and grass on which it can wait until the host 

 passes by, so that it can drop off and fasten itself. 



Mr. Banks has determined the species as Hyalomma cpgypHum 

 Linn. One of its hosts is the camel. 



TWO MEXICAN MYRMECOPHILOUS MITES. 



By Nathan Banks, 

 East Falls Church, Virginia. 



Mr. W\ M. Mann recently submitted to me some mites collected 

 by him in Mexico from ants' nests. Two species are represented, 

 both being new, their descriptions follow : 



