120 MITES AND TICKS. 



curious, large, hair-like spines with which the body and legs are 

 sparsely armed, some being nearly half as long as the body. 

 These hairs are covered with very fine spinules. Those on the 

 end of the body are regularly spoon-shaped. These strange 

 hairs, which are thickest on the legs, probably assisted the mite 

 in anchoring itself in the skin of its host. We have read no 

 account of this strange and interesting form. It is allied to the 

 Acaropsis Mericourti which lines in the huma'n face. 



A species, "apparently of the genus Gamasus," according to 

 Dr. Leidy, has been found living in the ear (at the 'bottom of 

 the external auditory meatus, and attached to the membrana 

 tympani) of steers. "Whether this mite is a true parasite of 

 the ear of the living ox, or whether it obtained access to the 

 position in which it was found after the death of the ox in the 

 slaughter house, has not yet been determined." 



We will now give a hasty glance at the different groups of 

 mites, pausing to note those most interesting from their habits 

 or relation to man. 



The most highly organized mite (and by its structure most 

 closely allied to the spider)' is the little red garden mite, belong- 

 ing to the genus Trombidium, to which the genus Tetranychus 

 is also nearly related. Our own species of the former genus 

 have not been "worked up," or in other words identified and 

 described, so that whether the European T. holosericeum Linn, 

 is our species or not, we cannot tell. The larvae of this and 

 similar species are known to live parasitically upon Harvest- 

 men (Phalangium), often called Daddy-long-legs ; and upon 

 Aphides, grasshoppers and other insects. Mr. Riley has made 

 known to us through the "American Naturalist" (and from his 

 account our information is taken), the habits of certain young 

 of the garden mite (Trombidium) which are excessively annoy- 

 ing in the Southwestern States. The first is the Leptus ? Amer- 

 icanus (Fig. 145), or American Harvest mite. It is only known 

 as yet in the larval or Leptus state, when it is of the form indi- 

 cated in the cut, and brick red in color. "This species is barely 

 visible with the naked eye, moves readily and is found more 

 frequently upon children than upon adults. It lives mostly on 

 the scalp and under the arm pits, but is frequently found on the 

 other parts of the body. It does not bury itself in the flesh, 

 but simply insinuates the anterior part of the body just under 

 the skin, thereby causing intense irritation, followed by a little 



