38 NOTES ON THE CATTI-E TICK. 



After the departure of the female from its host, the male 

 releases his hokl, and usually dies in a few days. Occasionally, 

 I have kept male ticks alive in a glass vessel for nearly four 

 "weeks. 



What appears to be a very remarkable fact is, that although 

 so many eminently qualified men in England, America, and 

 South Africa have devoted years of study in endeavouring to 

 elucidate the biology of the cattle tick and numerous other 

 species, all have apparently failed to notice that the legs of the 

 mature male and female cattle tick are quite white and semi- 

 transparent, which serves to distinguish the I.nuh's horis from 

 all other known species of ticks, all of which have either red or 

 dark -brown legs. 



HABITS AND PECULIARITIES. 



The cattle ticks in their larval stage only can readily walk up 

 the sides of a vertical piece of glass and on the underneath side 

 when inverted ; but there are species of scrub ticks that in both 

 adult and larval stage can walk on glass situated at any angle. 



To demonstrate the objection which ticks have to strong 

 light, place a number of either larval or adult ticks inside a 

 vessel covered with a piece of glass, and having a label affixed ; 

 in the course of a few minutes all the larval ticks will congre- 

 gate immediately under the label, while the adult ticks, which 

 cannot climb up the glass, will mass together in the most shady 

 part of the vessel. 



A large number of larval ticks will, if placed in a glass 

 vessel, live for a longer period than a few ticks, even when kept 

 iinder precisely the same conditions. 



Block is fiomthe Qiieeiishnid Aiiriciiltiinil Journal. 



