SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



shaped, short, and rounded. Coxae of front legs 

 'deeply bifid, the others with a moderate spine. A 

 ■strong claw at the end of the tarsi of the three 

 posterior pairs of legs, very small in the front pair. 

 Length when replete up to 16 mm. Colour light 

 brown. When depositing eggs, mottled with dark 

 brown above and beneath. Legs brown. 



Male. Very like female (fig. 24). Shield reddish- 

 brown, variegated with milky-white pattern ; in 

 front this takes nearly the appearance of the shield 

 of the female, margined by a white border behind. 

 Coxae of the fourth pair of legs three times the 

 size of the third. Palpi having on the second 

 joint a shai-p spine pointing backwards (fig. 25), 

 which is less pronounced in the female. Length 

 4-20 mm. 



This species varies very much in individuals, 

 both in shape and colouring. It occurs in Eng- 

 land occasionally on sheep. Specimens have 

 been sent to me by Mr. Pocock which were found 

 on sheep at Revelstoke in Devonshire. It is widely 

 distributed in Europe and Asia. It also attacks 

 cattle, deer, goats, roe-deer, and even man. 



The following is a short tabular synopsis of the 

 foregoing classification of the Ixodidae : — 



I. Rostrum concealed beneath the fore part of the 



body, except in the immature states ; no 

 dorsal or ventral shields :— 



ARGASINAE. 



(a) Body flat with thin edges, finely sha- 

 greened and punctuated, narrower in 

 front. No eyes Argas 



{b) Body with thick sides, often densely 

 covered with small round shining 

 granules in various patterns. Eyes 

 sometimes present. ' Ornithodorus 



II. Rostrum terminal. Body more or less covered 



■with a dorsal shield. Considerable differ- 

 ence generally between the sexes. Dorsal 

 base of the rostrum of female with two sym- 

 metrical hollows finely punctuated, which 

 are absent in males, nymphs, and larvae : — 



IXODINAE. 



((A) Rostrum and palpi longer than broad (fig. 6). 

 IXODAE. 



(ffi) Anal groove contouring anus in front. 

 No eyes (fig. 6). 

 ((a') Palpi caniculated in both sexes Ixodes 

 ((a^) Palpi claviform, not caniculated in the 

 male. Legs very long. 



Haemalastor (fig. 10) 

 {b') Anal groove contouring anus behind 

 ■ (fig- 7)- 



(1) This is denied by Dr. Marx in Proceedings of Entomo- 

 logical Soc, Wasliington, vol. ii., No. 2, ] 892. 



(J') No eyes. Ad-anal shields. Aponovima 

 (¥) Eyes present (fig. 5). Males have no 



ad-anal shields . . . Amblyovima 

 {¥) Eyes present. Males have ad-ar.al 



shields (fig. 7) . . . Hyalomma 



(B) Labium and palpi short and more or less 

 conical ; not, or very little, longer 

 than broad. 



RHIPICEPHALAE. 



(r) No eyes nor ventral shields in the male. 

 Rostrum rectangular ; second joint of 

 palpi with lateral projection (fig. 21) 



Haemaphysalis 

 (d) Eyes present. 



(d') Rostrum with salient angles. Either 

 two or four shields at the side of the 

 anus of the male (fig. 19). 



Rhipicephalus 

 (d-) Rostrum rectangular. No ad-anal 

 shields, but usually a great develop- 

 ment of the coxae of the fourth pair 

 of legs in the male (fig. 20). 



Dermacentor 



It must be remembered that not only do indi- 

 viduals of all species vary much in size when fast- 

 ing, but the variation is immensely increased when 

 distension takes place on a host. Full considera- 

 tion must be given to this fact when referring to 

 the measurements given above. The colours of 

 distended individuals also depend entirely on the 

 quantity of blood consumed. When the disten- 

 sion is complete the colour is usually a blue-black 

 in all stages. 



I am indebted to the Editor of the "Royal 

 Agricultural Society's Journal " for kindly lending 

 me the blocks of figs. 6, 11, 12, 13, and 14. Figs. 

 8, 9, and 15 have already been produced in 

 Science-Gossip. 



I should be much obliged for any information 

 of well authenticated British species that may 

 have been omitted, with full particulars as to the 

 time and place of capture. 



Swans field Souse, Alnwick, 

 June 1901. 



Cave-Dwellers op Kenver. — Near to Kenver 

 are to be seen some remarkable caves, cut into the 

 sandstone rock, of which a few are still inhabited. 

 One old troglodyte tells me that he has lived in 

 his cave forty-eight years. A few years ago his 

 next cave neighbour died, so he dug a way through, 

 and has now a double cave. These places seem 

 quite dry and comfortable ; they have old-fashioned 

 glass and lead windows in front, and rough 

 chimneys of drain-pipes run up the face of the 

 rock. The inhabitants pay no rent for the caves, 

 but a little to the lord of the manor for their 

 ample gardens, of which they are very proud. — 

 U. Parkins, Kenver. 



