The Bird Ticks 



of birds, such as the horned owl, certain hawks, the ruffed grouse 

 or partridge, and which has a hard, smooth, flattened yellow 

 body. The species which belong to the genus Lipoptena live on 

 mammals, and apparently live for a long time. When they first 



Fig. no. — Melophagus ovinus. 

 (After Packard.) 



appear they have wings, but when they have found a satisfactory 

 location on some deer or other animal they lose their wings 

 either by biting them off or casting them. While still winged 

 they may live on birds. In other words, apparently too lazy to 

 fly, they use birds as their means of conveyance until they find 

 themselves in the immediate vicinity of some deer. That the 

 name "bird ticks" should have been applied to these creatures is 

 very unfortunate, since the name tick ought to be restricted to the 

 spider-like parasites of the family Ixodidse, but in the case of the 

 so-called sheep tick, which is really a dipterous insect, it is not 

 surprising that the name tick should have been applied since 

 no one in his senses would think that it is a fly unless he were 

 familiar with the intimate structure of the Diptera and of the true 

 ticks. 



189 



