Bo'dphilus Decoloratus. Texas Fever Tick of S. Africa. 131 



shield smaller, lighter in color ; capitulum shorter, mandibles 

 have both apophyses — inner and outer — tridentate, the inner 

 showing a rounded process as well, palpi very short with lateral 

 angular projections as in B. Annulatus. 



Male. — Smaller than B. Annulatus, 2.2 mm. long, by 1.3 mm. 

 broad across legs IV. Dorsal shield (scutum) extends the whole 

 length of the body, but leaves a small rim of the lateral margin 

 uncovered. It has two pairs of projections forward from its an- 

 terior border, and two pairs on the back, the front pair, the more 

 projecting, anterior and lateral being on the plane of limbs I. 

 Two lateral furrows extend to the posterior border, while a median 

 groove shows in the posterior part of the body only. In the median 

 line the scutum is prolonged backward by a strong conical pro- 

 cess (tail), 85 \x. long. Dorsum and venter are covered with 

 round pores bearing bristly hairs. Capitulum (head) 425 /x 

 long, mandibles have tridentate internal apophysis and bidentate 

 external apophysis. Dart (hypostome) with 4 rows of teeth on 

 each half. Palpi as in B. Annulatus. Legs relatively large and 

 strong. 



Hosts. This tick attacks cattle, deer and horses. 



Pathogenesis. In lands which they infest, these ticks carry 

 the Texas fever germ (Piroplasma Bigemina) from ox to ox, as 

 the B. Annulatus does in the United States and Southern Europe. 

 Doubtless they inoculate the same protozoon on deer and horses 

 but there is no evidence that any corresponding disease results. 



BOOPHILUS DECOIvORATUS. TEXAS FEVER TICK OF 

 S. AFRICA. BLUE TICK. RHIPICEPHALUS DE- 

 COLORATUS. 



Characters of female and male. Body oval (fasting), dorsal shield trans- 

 parent, venter yellow, head red, mandible with inner apophysis bicuspid, 

 dart with three rows of teeth, four anal shields, chitinous conical caudal ap- 

 pendix in male. Pathogenesis : transmits Texas fever in piroplasma dis- 

 tricts in S. Africa. Doubtful species. Other rhipicephali. 



Female. Body of young and fasting oval, sides convex, pos- 

 terior half .scarcely broader than anterior, 2.2 mm. long, by 1.3 

 mm. broad ; when replete 10 to 12 mm. long, by 6 to 8 mm. 

 broad ; color slaty blue ; dorsal shield (scutum) longer than 



