66 Veterinary Medicine. 



mals or birds, living like lice on the skin, and are either wingless 

 or often lose their wings on arriving at maturity. 



Hippobosca Equina, 8 mm. in length, with brown thorax 

 showing three yellow spots, two anterior apd lateral and one pos- 

 terior and central, yellowish brown abdomen, and yellow head 

 well detached from the thorax. The legs are strong, yellow and 

 bear terminal booklets. The body is hairy. The oblong, smoky 

 wings are permanent. This attacks horses, cattle, dogs and 

 other animals. Rondani describes two varieties, H. Taurina 

 which especially pesters the ox and H . Canina which attacks the 

 dog and other animals. 



These attack particularly the bare, smooth parts as around the 

 vulva, anus, perineum, sheath, and inside of the thigh, moving 

 rapidly over the surface and greatly irritating sensitive animals 

 that are not inured to them. They remain adherent to the skin, 

 will not be driven away, especially from animals with dirty skins. 

 They are to be dealt with like other flies. 



MELOPHAGUS OVINA. LOUSE FLY. (SHEEP TICK ?) 



A hippobosca : not a tick. Has six legs, is wingless; has distinct thorax 

 and abdomen, perforating blood-sucking proboscis, pupa stuck to wool, 

 young melophagus emerges in four weeks. Most abundant on debilitated, 

 coarse-wools ; migrate from shorn to unshorn (ewes to lambs). Instil ve- 

 nom which checks coagulation. Symptoms: Rubbing, scratching, biting, 

 white wool-tufts ; parasites exposed by parting wool, near surface (summer) 

 or near root (winter). Treatm,ent : Sheep dips as in acariasis. 



Though familiarly known as the sheep tick, this is not a tick at 

 all but a hippobosca which has acquired a parasitic habit and per- 

 manently lost its wings. A mature tick (ixodes) has eight legs, 

 whereas the melophagus has but six. The tick has an undivided, 

 non-articulate body, while the melophagus is articulate, and has 

 thorax and abdomen separated by a deep constriction. The 

 adults are 3 to 5 mm. long ; brown body with spots on the oval 

 abdomen ; head inserted into the thorax ; antennae short forming 

 tubercles; proboscis tubular and toothed at the end, adapted to 

 perforate the skin and suck blood ; legs stout, covered with hairs 

 and each terminated by a hook. On each .side are seven .stigmata 



