Entomoloyical Society. 9503 



Major Cox sent for exhibition a portion of a wooden dog-kennel infested with the 

 dog-tick, Ixodes pluuibeus ; the specimens were very numerous, and during the 

 exhibilion copulation was freely indulged in. A specimen of a Ciraex, apparently 

 new, was also discovered on the wood. The Major communicated also the following 

 note: — 



" My attention has been lately called to the attack of a parasite, which has 

 seriously infested the skin of dogs of my kennel: I believe it to be the Ixodes 

 Eiciniis. The skin of all my dogs, as well puppies as grown up ones, has been 

 perfectly spotted by the immense number of these creatures. My ferrets have like- 

 wise been attacked. On applying the proper remedies, my man requested me to 

 examine the kennels: I have three large separate ones, and also a range of buildings, 

 twenty-four feet long, divided into three compartments, built up of wood against an 

 old brick wall, the flooring covered with cement: the first contains dogs, the second 

 and third pheasants for breeding. In the two latter the surface of the wall between 

 the bricks, wherever the pheasants could reach, is picked away in order to get at these 

 insects. In all the courses of the bricks, in all the joints of the wood-work, and in 

 the detached kennel which stood nearest to the building, I found the tick in every 

 stage of growth in immense profusion. I at once referred to Kirby and Spence, to 

 endeavour to obtain some information relative to the destructive habits of this peculiar 

 class of insects; but beyond mentioning that they directly attacked sheep, dogs, &c., 

 by inserting their serrated ponstellum into the skin and filling themselves with the 

 blood of the animal, they say nothing of the injury they commit upon wooden 

 buildings by working into the joints. Now it is to this point that I wish to call the 

 attention of the Society. 



" It will be seen, by the accompanying specimen of wood taken from the dog- 

 kennel, how it has been destroyed. It is a question with me how creatures with a 

 mouth so peculiarly formed could have carried on the work of destruction as they have 

 done, for I found the whole of the roof of the kennel so injured and so thickly infested 

 by them, that I had it at once broken up and burnt on the spot. Do they perforate 

 the dry wood ? and whence do they derive nourishment, for I believe they are suctorial 

 parasites? or does the wood perish by the presence of their excremental matter, and 

 so enable them to perforate deeper and deeper. The piece that I have sent up is a 

 good specimen to show how much injury they may do; in it will be found the insect 

 in all its stages, from the egg to its full-grown size; and, speaking of it in the latter 

 condition, I was not aware until now that it presented its large sacculated form, 

 except after feeding as a parasite upon the blood of some animal. I always considered 

 it in its natural state to be a minute insect, the body of which became highly distended 

 as it continued to derive nourishment from the creature upon which it was preying. 

 I never made this class of insects my study, and therefore should be too glad to receive 

 any information from my brother entomologists on this subject. On examining the 

 piece of wood, I find there are several insects very much resembling the large gray 

 tick ; but as some of these insects possess six legs, I do not know to what species 

 they belong, or in what condition they are. The egg is oblong, semitransparent, and 

 of a dirty brown colour, laid in masses. 



" Whilst writing this I have been informed of a gentleman who had a pack of 

 harriers attacked in a similar way. A person in London was consulted in the matter : 

 he came down, and on inspecting the wooden building found it very much infested 

 with the tick ; the greatest portion of it was, therefore, pulled down and rebuilt; but 



