674 MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 



abandons the female. If ticks are separated at the appropriate moment 

 the spermatophore, a delicate and transparent flask-shaped bag of 

 sperms, can be seen attached to the vulval orifice. After the act the 

 ventral surfaces of both male and female are bathed in a clear fluid, 

 the excretion of the coxal glands. The act of copulation is carried out 

 in the same way in Argas persicus, Argas vespertilionis, Aponomma 

 gervaisi and a number of others in which it has been observed. 



In a recent paper Aragao has described parthenogenetic reproduction 

 in a species of Amblyomma, A. agamtnn, from Brazil ; he was able to raise 



this tick through three generations in the complete 

 ^ rthen t ? c g k e s nesi8 in absence of the male. This appears to be the first time 



that this phenomenon has been observed in ticks. 

 Nuttall has since been able to show that parthenogenesis occurs in Rhi- 

 picephahts bursa, the sheep tick of Southern Europe and North Africa ; 

 in this case, however, the male is well known. Nuttall found that if 

 females were placed alone upon a sheep they remained on it from twenty- 

 five to thirty-eight days and then abandoned the host without having 

 become full-fed; some of these females began to oviposit after the 

 normal interval and although many of the eggs shrivelled, larvae 

 hatched from a few of them. 



COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF TICKS 



In tropical countries almost all animals, both domestic and wild, 

 harbour ticks, though some are more infested than others. In most 

 cases the immature stages are found on the same host 

 """tides as the adults, but, as has been already pointed out, the 



larvae and nymphs of some ticks do not feed on the 

 same species as the adults, so that it does not necessarily follow that the 

 young stages occurring with adults belong to the same species. In search- 

 ing animals for ticks every part should be carefully examined or they 

 may be overlooked. Larger animals should be thrown and examined 

 all over, particular attention being paid to the abdomen, the udder, 

 and the scrotum ; some ticks attach themselves about the anus. The 

 eyelids and ears, especially inside the concha and along the margin of 

 the latter, should be carefully examined ; the ear is a favourite site 

 for Haetnaphy salts. The root of the neck and the tail should also 

 be particularly examined. 



In the case of canines, such as the dog, fox and jackal, particular 

 attention should be paid to the ears and feet, and especially to the spaces 

 between the toes ; rhipicephalines are very fond of crawling deep down 



