1909. } ECTOPARASITES OF THE RED GROUSE. 327 
Balfour* in the Sudan. The spirochete, probably Spirocheta 
gallinarum, which causes the first-named disease is transferred 
from one fowl to another by a tick, Argas persicus. The second, 
and as yet rather obscure, disease is recognised by the natives and 
by them associated with the presence of the Argas. We have 
found no traces of such disease in grouse, and the recorded 
number of ticks taken in the grouse is, except locally, so small 
that they can hardly play any part in grouse-disease, 
(ii.) Fam. Tyrogly phide. 
VITL.—Arevrosivs rarin% (de Geer). 
Synonym: Tyroglyphus farinw Gerv. 
Mr. C. Warburton has kindly identified for us a small mite 
which was found in considerable numbers on several birds and at 
varying times of the year. Whilst very common at Easter time, 
they were less abundant in July. Alewrobius farinw, sometimes 
known as the flour-mite, occurs in great numbers on all sorts 
of organic material—grain, straw, hay, tobacco, flour, cheese, 
dead bodies, ete., etc. At times workmen handling corn, cats, 
horses, etc., have suffered much cutaneous irritation and eruption 
from the attacks of this mite. There seems no doubt as to the 
species of this mite, but the authorities on these animals express 
surprise that they should occur so commonly on the grouse. Our 
specimens, some of which were taken on freshly killed grouse, 
contained some red substance in the stomach, probably some 
blood from the bird. There seems at present little reason to 
incriminate this mite as the carrier of the tape-worm cyst. They 
were, however, found by Mr. Fryer on a large majority of birds 
which were especially searched with the view of finding mites. 
Gu.) Fam. Gamaside. 
IX.—-GAMASUS COLEOPTRATORUM (L.). 
We have also taken this common, fawn-coloured mite off the 
feathers of a grouse. It is usually found on beetles, but winters 
under stones, and it is said to soon die if removed from the beetle 
or from under the stone where they hide, unless they are kept 
moist. The beetles they favour are usually burrowers in the 
damp ground or under cow-dung. ‘They probably passed on to 
the grouse from under stones. 
* Brit. Med. Journ., 9th November 1907, No. 2445, p. 1330. 
