SPELAEORHYNCHUS PRAECURSOR 631 



II and III each with a short spur ; coxa IV with a spur as long or longer 

 than the coxa. Tarsus IV short, nearly three times as long as broad. 

 Length 4 mm. ; width 2 mm. 



Female. Scutum oval ; longer than broad. Cervical grooves long 

 and superficial ; porose areas large and sub-circular, but not very well 

 marked. Coxa IV with a spur as long as coxa I and longer than those 

 of coxae II and III. Length 3'5 to 12 mm. ; width 2 to 7'5 mm. 



The species is found in the British Isles, - France, Germany, Holland, 

 Italy, Roumania, Crete, Dalmatia, Greece, Algeria, Egypt, the Canary 

 Islands and Japan ; it is parasitic on cattle, the goat, sheep, deer and 

 horse. As already noted it has been proved to be the invertebrate host 

 of Piroplasm bigeminitm in England. 



Ticks of the genus Haemaphysalis are sluggish and feeble in their 

 movements, and are difficult to experiment with. As far as is definitely 

 known they require three hosts in order to complete 



their life histories. As a rule thev attach themselves Bionomic8 and Life 



Processes of Haema- 

 about the ears and faces of their hosts, but some physalis 



select the scrotum and udder ; they are very easily 



dislodged. Many of the common species do not appear to select any 



particular host, but will fix themselves to a number of different animals. 



SUBFAMILY SPELAEORHYNCHINAE 



Body broad and flat, with scutum in the female, and a ventral chit in- 

 ous plate behind the capitulum. Genital plate absent. Anus sub-terminal. 

 Genital opening situated just anterior to the anus. Spiracles small and 

 situated just external to the third intercoxal space. Capitulum terminal ; 

 epistoma semi-dome-shaped, hollowed out vent ratty ; it encloses the 

 hypostome and mandibles. The former is styliform and unarmed ; the 

 latter are well developed and end in two hooks ; the maxillae are separate, 

 small, and membraneous. The palps are slender and are five jointed. 

 Legs without spurs. (Neumann) 



Neumann recognizes one genus, which contains the single species 

 praecursor, of which the male is unknown. The female was found in 

 Pernambuco on the bat Carollia brevicaudus. 



