2 3 o DEL AGO A BAY. 



skin. One very minute red species is especially 

 irritating, and very difficult to dislodge when 

 once the skin has begun to swell up around its 

 body, the inflammation from the bite lasting 

 several days. The irritation is intensified when 

 one is also covered with that plague of a hot 

 climate prickly heat. 



I am sometimes so covered with them, after a 

 day's collecting amongst high grass, that I am ob- 

 liged to oil my skin and scrape it vigorously with 

 a knife before I can get rid of the little pests. 



All the species are a great torment to animals, 

 and quickly scent their prey. I have seen 

 dozens of the larger and beautifully variegated 

 ones hurrying up to my horse when he rested a 

 little while, running over the hoof, and fastening 

 on the soft fetlock in a few seconds, he stamping 

 furiously when he felt the bites. One of my 

 daily tasks is to go over him carefully with 

 nippers and a brush dipped in paraffin oil, and I 

 notice that wherever a large tick has fastened on 

 a small species is almost always beside it, suck- 

 ing from the same inflamed part. 



