BY T. HARVEY JOHNSTON AND M. J. BANCROFT. 279 



animals and actually attach themselves. Importation of 

 Asiatic cattle into the United States Avas stopped in 1884 

 and the consequent breeding of the tick-free Brahmhi strains 

 with the susceptile European cattle led to a deterioration 

 in the tick-resisting powers of the progeny. In 1906, Mr. 

 A. P. Borden, Manager of the Pierce Ranch, Southern 

 "Texas, after compl^dng A\ith quarantine regulations was 

 allowed to introduce 33 head of pure bred Brahmin 

 cattle. He has since bred up a large herd of Brahmin and 

 grade Brahmin cattle. These animals Mere carefully 

 examined bj'^ the members of the Royal Commission and no 

 ticks could be found on them while the Shorthorn and 

 Hereford cattle were found to carr}' ticks freely. (Cowley, 

 Pound and ChauveK 1913, p. 10). '' Brahmin crosses 

 are remarkable resistant to tick infestation '" (p. 14). 



In some extracts from Mr. Froggatfs reports (Re]Wft 

 of Under Secretary for Agriculture, 1907-1908, p. 26) 

 reference is made to the crossbred Brahmin cattle at Pierce 

 Ranch. These crossbreds have fine short hair and the 

 suggestion is that the close short hair causes the larval 

 ticks, when they moult, to drop off as they have nothing 

 to cling to. 



In Jamaica similar facts Iiave been observed. " The 

 almost total immunity of the Mysore cattle from the attacks 

 of ticks of all kinds was most marked ; this was especially 

 thd case at Shettlewood and other places, where this breed 

 of cattle was used for draft purposes. Crosses between 

 the Mysore and other breeds were also less subject to the 

 attacks of these pests ; while Shorthorns, Devons, Herefords 

 and Creoles suffered most. Indeed ticks shew a decided 

 preference for all cattle whicli have little or no Indian or 

 Spanish strain in their blood ; they have apparently a great 

 •dislike to animals with short, fine hair ; hence probably 

 the immunit}' of the Indian and Spanish races.* 



Tryon (R.S.C., 1915, p. 46) pointed out that although 

 the cattle tick occurs in India and Java, ticks are rare on 

 the cattle and the gross infestation so common in Australia 

 is never met with. 'Freedom or comparative freedom from 



*R. Newstead. Report 21st Exped. of Liverpool School Trop. 

 Med. Jamaica — Medical and Economic Entomology. Ann. Trop. Med. 

 Parasit., 3, 1909, p. 42.S. 



