430 BLOOD DISEASES. 



elusion that it was very similar to, or identical with, specimens of 

 the Texan cattle tick, described as follows by Professor C. V. Eiley. 

 — {Journal of Medicine and Veterinary Archives, 1%^1 and 1892.) 



The life history of this tick, referred to at page 423, is some- 

 what as follows : — " Adult females kept confined in bottles lay 

 their eggs. These eggs are placed in covered glass dishes con- 

 taining a little soil and kept in a warm place. After a period of 

 three or four weeks the young ticks appeared ; these were 

 placed on a calf kept in an artificially warmed place, the 

 weather being cold. The earliest or larval stage, as it emerged 

 from the egg, had three pairs of legs. After one week's sojourn 

 on the calf it was ready to moult. The emerging nymphal stage 

 was provided with an additional pair of legs, and after another 

 week's sojourn on tlie calf the tick was ready to moult a second 

 time, and become sexually mature." I may state that I have found 

 the parasite both before and after the second moult, and can con- 

 firm the statement that during the larval stage it has only three 

 pairs of legs, and four after its first and second moult. Experi- 

 ments have proved that each mature female confined in a bottle 

 remains quiet for several days — from two to four and a half, 

 according to the American observers, but a longer period, from 

 eight to twelve days, in one case under my notice ; then a few 

 eggs will be observed on the mouth and surrounding part. The 

 number of eggs and the period of oviposition vary when kept 

 in a temperature of 60° to 78° F. ; the laying was observed to 

 continue from eight to fifteen days, and that those ticks which 

 took the longest time laid the largest number of eggs. Each 

 full-grown female will average 210U eggs, which appear as dark 

 red brownish masses of oval bodies. 



As all the evidence brought before me pointed out that this 

 tick was unknown to the majority of the cattle-owners and 

 their servants, I made application to the Colonial Secretary, the 

 Honourable Fred Evans, to obtain specimens for me through 

 " The Bureau of Animal Industry, Washington, U.S.," of ticks 

 found on Texan cattle ; and in compliance with that request, the 

 acting secretary of that department sent some specimens, which 

 were immediately forwarded to me by the Colonial Secretary. 

 These specimens, collected in Manhatta, Ks., correspond in every 

 particular with the Ixodes hovis, also called Jjooj^MIus hovis, &c., 

 found on the cattle here. 



Lopking upon the tick, and without confming myself to the 



