1900] ENTOMOLOGICAL. NEWS. 33g 



eluded here merely to give one an idea of the size of this gigantic 

 species. 



Owing to the size of the tick there is no difficulty in observing 

 the interesting process of ovi position. For this act a bi'oad furrow 

 forms under the depressed rosti-um and the genital oritice, which 

 normally is beneath the body, is thus brought to the front margin. 

 The lips of the orifice exh-ude, act as an ovipositor, and carry the 

 egg upward almost half way over the depressed rostrum. Mean- 

 while a pale colored, glandular ox*gan, cleft for much of its length* 

 protrudes from a cavity situated immediately beneath the fore 

 margin of the shield. Gradually unfolding its glistening arms* 

 this gland extends itself downward over the rostrum, gi'asps th® 

 egg and apparently envelopes it in slime, which it secretes. It then 

 retracts, dragging the egg with it for a distance, but eventually 

 leaving its charge resting on the rostrum. The latter organ with 

 the palpi then comes into play, and rising together they push the 

 egg forwai'd and out of the waj^ The whole operation usually oc- 

 cupies from fifty-five to s'xty-five seconds. The slightest touch 

 causes a suspension of the work, and several hours generally elapse 

 before it ygain begins. If repeatedly disturbed, as for instance by 

 the daily removal of the eggs, the tick may cease laying altogether. 

 By careful computation the egg complements of three ticks takeu 

 at random have been found to be, respectively, about 10,000,13,400 

 and 17,G00. It is presumed that the largest individuals lay as many 

 as 20,000. The eggs adhere to one another and form an irregular 

 mass in front of the body. 



The adult male does not appear to draw blood but to live on 

 serous matter. There is always some inflammation about the 

 "bites" of all stages, and at least a slight suppuration occurs 

 where the adults settle. Great sores sometimes form, and it is this 

 result of tick attack more than the actual loss of blood that makes 

 the tick problem so important in South Africa- Heifers on badly 

 infested farms sometimes lose from one to all four teats before they 

 calve, and there ax-e stock farms on which a cow with a sound udder 

 is exceptional. The transmission of several blood diseases is at- 

 tributed to the agency of the species by the farmers, and in the 

 course of studying the life history it was incidentally discovered 

 that the farmers were perfectly correct as far as Red Water (Texas 

 or Southern fever) was concerned. This malady was transmitted to 

 a stabled cow located a thousand miles from where the original 

 female ticks were obtained. 



The Bont Tick in all stages attacks all kinds of stock farmed in 

 South Africa, and that without apparent discrimination. Different 

 classes of stock may be infested b)' the same tick in the different stages 

 of its development. The tick does not do well where the hair is 

 thick and long, or it would be nearer the truth to say that it is not 



