NO. 1382. 



THE A CAR TX A OR 3rTTES—BAXKS. 



49 



disease similar to Texas fever, that is known by the name of ''loup- 

 ing-iH"or "trembling-," The parasite is at present unknown. The 

 loss to Scottish herders is sometimes ver}^ heavy. It is said that sheep 

 in moist meadows are not as subject to ticks as those in drier pastures. 

 A pale yellowish or almost white species, with a lirighter yellow scu- 

 tum, /. cruciarius Fitch, occurs on squirrels, gophers, rabbits, etc. In 

 Florida a reddish species, /. scajMiIari,^ Say, is common. 



Of AmhJyohnrui there are a number of species, particularly in the 

 Tropics. ^1. (nurf/euiKi Koch is of ten found on cattle, and is called the 

 " lone-star tick " on account of a prominent yellowish spot on the scutum. 

 On some species the markings become intricate; a series of yellow and 

 brown sinuate stripes variously interlaced. One of these, A. crenata 

 Say {iiiacuhita Koch) is very common in the Southei'n States, attacking 

 almost any mammal, including man. One large species, A. tuherculitta 



Fig. iS4.— Amblyomma Americana, 



SHIELD OF FEMALE. 



Fig. 8.5.— Amblyomma ameki- 



CANA, STIGMAL plate. 



Marx occurs on the Floridan gopher. The exotic genus Oj>h!odes 

 infests snakes; the various species are handsomely marked with brown, 

 red, and yellow. The geims Ifyntalastor occurs on bats in Europe. 



It has lately been shown that a South African tick, II^///<ij//ii/.sah's 

 ledc/ii Audouin, is th6 carrier of a blood-parasite that causes malignant 

 jaundice, or distemper, in dogs in South Africa. The young stages 

 do not communicate the disease, but if an adult tick feeds on infectious 

 blood, her descendants, when adult, may transmit the disease. 



Superfamily GAMASOIDEA. 



The Gamasid mites are among those best known to collectors of 

 insects, since many species are very common, and others spend part 

 of their life attached to ])eetlcs and other insects. Typically these 

 mites have a hard coriaceous integument, but there are man}' excep- 

 tions to this rule. The}' are quite iiat, broad, and with rather short 

 legs. They have no eyes, but the sense of touch is very highly devel- 

 oped through many hairs on legs and l)ody. Some species are slow 

 in movements, and are apt to feign death when disturbed, liut others 

 Proc. N. M. vol. xxviii— 04 4 



