100 



A NATURE WOOING. 



Today I take for the first time a specimen of that 

 little semi-tropical butterfly, the "tailed skipper," Eu- 

 damus proteus L. It expands about two inches; is 

 dark brown in color, with four whitish spots on the 

 fore wing, while the hind wings are without spots and 

 are produced into tails about half an inch in length. 

 It ranges as far north as New York City, and south- 

 westward at least to the lower part of Old Mexico, 

 where I have taken it in numbers. 



The wood ticks, Dermacentor americanus L., are 

 becoming common. They are often called "dog- 

 ticks," since dogs are their most common host. The 

 females, when they attach themselves to the skin of 

 man or beast, and are allowed to remain, become 



gorged with blood un- 

 til they are very much 

 swollen, and are some- 

 times a full half inch 

 in length. The males 

 are quite handsome, as 

 handsome goes among 

 such forms, being vel- 

 vety brown and having 

 the body above and the 

 legs marked with sil- 

 very lines and blotches. 



They do not enlarge as do the females when gorged 

 with blood, though, if removed and the head left in 

 the flesh, a bad running sore is apt to result. The 



Fig. 33 Wood Tick. 



(Male; much enlarged.) 



