388 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Jan 



until the ninth. A female which takes up her position alone de- 

 velops little, and is almost sure to let go within a week and I'enew 

 her search for an eligible male. An unmated male may also relax 

 his hold and search for a mate, but this does not appear to be a 

 common habit, and in such cases as it has been noticed the male 

 settled down near a lone female and left her to change her position 

 to effect the match he evidently desired. The duration of a male's 

 life on the host has still to he determined, but many specimens now 

 on cattle under observation have been attached already over five 

 weeks. During its stay it may have several successive mates. 

 Sometimes it turns or is pulled about so as to embrace a second 

 before the first has fallen, and a thii'd has been observed to closely 

 follow a second. 



The period which elapses between the dropping of the distended 

 female and the beginning at oviposition has varied in instances ob- 

 served fi-om two to ten weeks. Oviposition has extended from three 

 to nine weeks and incubation from eleven weeks to six months. 

 Under ordinary conditions it is estimated that the entire round of 

 life normally occupies at least a twelvemonth. Larval ticks 

 hatched six months ago are still alive. The hungry nymphs have 

 less vitality and few hare survived thirteen weeks, although 

 the majority not utilized in ti-acing the life history survived full 

 three months. The waiting adult ticks seem to become exhausted 

 in a shorter time, but those kept did not begin to die oft' until the 

 tenth week. The diflferent stages have been kept the periods men- 

 tioned, principally at the office or in living rooms. The vitality of 

 all has no doubt been severely tested by frequent disturbances and 

 by being carrie<l on long train and cart journeys. The larvae have 

 been kept in a cork-stoppered bottle, the nymphs in a glass-topped 

 ^r, and the adults in glass-topped p isteboard boxes. No moisture 

 or anything from which nourishment could be derived has been 

 given them . 



The larvte when on the host naiur.iUy gorge themselves with 

 blood, but many specimens reared evidenced by their cream or pink 

 body color that they had drawn colorless fluids wholly or in part. 

 When distended the larviK measure 2mm. iti lengtli. The nymphs 

 reared were very uniform in their color; when distended fully 

 they measure Amm. to (imm. in length, but exceptional individuals 

 drop when ev 'n less than Iimmi. A critical examination may show 

 sexual differences in this stui^c liut a superficial one; all that has 

 thus far been made shows none at all. The adults mensure from 

 4min. to (>mm. in length when they tMncrgo from the nymphal skin. 

 The male does not increjise perceptibly in length or breadth during 

 it« stay on the host. Tiio female generally increaHcs to iit least 

 aOinm in length, and individuals meiiHuring 'inrnm. long, lOmm. 

 wideand l.'imm- thick are not uncommon. The^^e details are in- 



