81 



SECTION II. 



DEALING WITH THE GENERAL BIOLOGY OF THE ARGASIDAE— THE 

 EFFECTS OF THEIR BITES,— THEIR RELATION TO THE SPREAD 

 OF DISEASE, etc. 



Argas persicus (p. 81), reflexus (p. 91), brumpli (p. 95). 



Ornithodoros savignyi 1 , coriaceus (p. 102), turicata (p. 102), talaje (p. 103), pavi- 

 mentosus 1 , tholozani (p. 103), lahorensis 1 , megnini (p. 103). 



ARGAS PERSICUS. 



The life-history has been carefully studied by Lounsbury (1903, 

 pp. 6-11). 



The eggs are laid in the hiding places of the adults, in cracks and 

 crevices in the walls, etc. Fuller (1896, p. 593) and Brown (1902, p. 86) 

 state that oviposition takes place occasionally on fowls. The eggs are 

 laid in batches of about 20, 50, 100 more or less, usually about a week 

 after feeding in warm weather, and hatching begins in about three 

 weeks. 



The larvae which issue from the eggs are almost colourless, and in 

 Lounsbury 's experience, die if unfed within 8 weeks. When the 

 chitin has hardened they attach themselves to a host within a few 

 minutes, as we have observed. After about 3 days they swell visibly, 

 appearing as small dark spheres on the skin of the fowl. On the 5th 

 day they drop off, but if the weather is cool they may remain attached 

 for 10 days. The body has now flattened (Fig. 20, p. 16) and assumed 

 somewhat the form of that of the adult. In summer, moulting follows 

 after about 8 days (Lounsbury). 



First nymphal form: the ticks feed quickly from now on to the 

 adult stage, taking \\ — 2 hours to gorge 2 . After about two weeks, in 

 warm weather, they moult and the second nymphal form appears. 

 These in turn feed upon a host and after some weeks moult and 



1 The few facta known regarding the biology of these species are included under 

 Section I : savignyi (p. 42), pavimentosus (p. 62), lahorensis (p. 67). 



2 See feeding experiments in Cambridge, noted below. 



N. i. 6 



