295 



Adult. After a few days on the host, copulation 

 commences. The mode is not exactly known. It is 

 believed that the rostrum of the male (without the 

 palpi) is inserted into the vulva of the female and by 

 some means or other, or possibly by the help of the 

 palpi, the spermatophores of the male are conveyed 

 to the vulva of the female. In some ticks it is the male 

 that seeks out the females, while in other species the 

 females fight for the male. 



When the females are gorged and have left their 

 host (in some species after a day's stay only) they 

 become in a few days less plump and a characteristic 

 yellow mottling appears, due to distension of the 

 malpighian tubes with their secretion. Egg laying is 

 now proceeding. When complete the tick shrivels up 

 and dies. The life of a tick is a variable period. From 

 the beginning of the larval stage to the beginning of 

 egg laying is, for Eu. apptndiculatus, n weeks, for 

 M. decoloratus, three weeks. 



ARGASINAE 



(a) Examine the dust of the floor of rest houses, 

 the gravel in native passenger sheds (in India), the 

 debris beneath ' halting J trees, bed platforms, the 

 hearth in native huts, cracks in walls, etc., etc., for 

 Ornithodoros. A sieve is useful for sifting the dust. 

 Confine the ticks in Petri dishes with some gravel. 



(b) Place the dust to be examined near a good 

 fire and capture with a moistened brush or finger tip 

 the very young ticks now revealed by their activity. 



Egg-' 



O. moubata. Lays eggs at intervals of a week or 



so, 10 to 20 or even 50 to 100 in a batch. The eggs are the 

 colour of glue, 0*88 by 0*77 mm. Examine with a low 



