326 DR. A. E, SHIPLEY ON [ Mar. 16, 
in the nest of a water-hen, Gallinula chloropus, and he records it 
as having been taken from Mustela erminea, MW. vulgaris, Sorea 
vulgaris, Microtus glareolus and M. amphibius, and trom hedge- 
clippings. 
ARACHNIDA. 
AcARINA.—Mites and Ticks. 
G.) Fam. Ixodidee.—tTicks. 
VIL.—TLxopes ricinus (L.). 
This is one of the commonest and one of the oldest-known 
ticks of Europe. In the British Isles it usually occurs on 
hunting-dogs and is sometimes cailed the “ dog-tick”; the adult 
stage is especially frequent on sheep, goats, and oxen, less common 
on horses, dogs, and men. Myr. William Evans*, of Morningside 
Park, Edinburgh, tells me that he has not found this species on 
dogs—in his district the “ dog-tick” being Jiodes heawagonus 
Leach, var. inchoatus Neum. On the other hand, the larvee and 
the nymphs are common enough on birds, lizards, and small 
mammals—in fact, on animals which live among and brush 
against grass or heather. It is only in the nymph and larva 
state that we found these ticks on the grouse. On each of the 
infested birds the specimens were fixed on the chin or around 
the eyelids—in fact, in such positions as the grouse cannot reach 
with its beak. In parts of Ross-shire, especially in certain woods, 
these ticks swarm in enormous numbers, and the keepers assure 
us that they kill large numbers of young blackgame. Hence there 
is nothing remarkable in finding this species from time to time 
on the grouse, where its presence must be regarded as accidental. 
The larval stages emerge from the eggs and probably crawl on to 
the heather, and thence on to the grouse or other animals which 
come in contact with the vegetation. We have found both 
larvee and nymphs amongst the feathers, but in small quantities 
and on rare occasions. We have never found it in the crop, and 
it can hardly play any part in infecting the bird with tape- 
Worms. 
Ixodes ricinus, or the “ castor-bean tick,” as it is called in 
America, is common in many parts of the world. It is reported 
from sheep, goats, cattle, horses, deer, dogs, cats, foxes, ferrets, 
hedgehogs, hares, rabbits, bats, birds, and man. ‘This tick occurs 
most frequently during the spring and early summer, but can be 
found in lesser numbers up till September and October, possibly 
later. 
Severe epizootics amongst fowl of spirillosis and of another 
obscure but very often fatal disease have been described by 
* Ann. Scott. Nat. Hist. 1907, p. 35. 
