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ZOOLOGY. 



ticks are attached. The ticks which are fixed must 

 never be seized and pulled out, for the mouth parts 

 are so deeply imbedded in the skin that it is impos- 

 sible to remove them by force, and the attempt would 

 only result in tearing the body from the mouth parts. 

 A better plan is to put a drop of oil or tobacco-water, 

 or, still better, benzine, on the tick, when it will 

 loosen itself. We distinguish between the Dog Tick 

 {Ixodes ricinus), the Sheep Tick (/. reduvius), and the 

 Ox Tick (/. reticulatus), which, however, are not 

 found exclusively on the animals after which they 

 are named. The first, although found most commonly 

 on the dog, attacks men who force their way through 

 underwood (hunters), and in the same way fixes on 

 sheep and oxen. The last two species are chiefly, but 

 not exclusively, found on sheep and goats. 



Family ; Gamasidse {Beetle Mites). 



Beetle mites are temporary parasites on insects, 

 reptiles, and birds. They have no eyes, but possess 

 shear-like jaws, and tolerably long hairy legs. The 

 Beetle Louse {Oamasus coleoptratorum) lives on dung 

 beetles, sexton beetles, etc. 



The Fowl Mite {Dermanyssus gallince) is the size of 

 a sand grain, and blood-red or red- brown in colour. 

 During the night it is found in large numbers on the 

 fowls, but during the day hides on the perches, in the 

 nests, and particularly in the chinks and crannies in 

 the walls of the poultry-house, also in dung. It draws 

 much blood from the fowls, and disturbs their sleep 

 by producing a constant itching, the result being 

 that they get very thin. Remedy : Whitewash the 

 fowl-houses twice a year (autumn and spring) with 

 hot lime to which 5 per cent, of carbolic acid has been 

 added. The wooden parts should be scalded with 

 boiling water before whitewashing. 



