THE FOWL TICK. 59 
places, such as on nests, engorgement may take place during the 
daytime. In warm weather oviposition is usually completed in 
from 10 to 14 days and engorgement takes place again as soon as 
a host is found. 
The dimensions of females prior to engorgement is increased 
slightly with each deposition. The average size of an individual 
taken after successive engorgements does not, however, seem to 
increase noticeably after the tick has become replete the second time. 
The size of males also appears to increase slightly with successive 
engorgements. The maximum, minimum, and average length, 
width, and thickness of eal) the He entities of which is recorded 
in Table IV, before and after each engorgement, is given in Table X. 
TaBLE X.—Size of females of Argas miniatus before and after successive engorgements. 
Number Size before engorging. 
Number of engorge- | of ticks 
ment. meas- 
ured. Maximum. Minimum. Average. 
Mm Mm. Min 
[ONS See ee Oi T- DY Bre 252 25-52 5h. = a eee ee 6.4 by 4.1. 
a ere ee $1} 5.5 byaeiiitt-i e- ey oe ee ee 7.1 by 4.4 
lh ae ee «fej WRC 6 al ee a TATA Ee. eee = See 7.4 by 4.5. 
UTE ae eee 1 3198) Dyn tis ae be > Giepyi4ase ss . 552 por 7.5 by 4.6. 
2 Lib A ees 14, 8:8: DY 5:5 DY 16222 ~ =: 6:3 by 42°py 1.3_..-~ - 7.7 by 4.8 by 1.5. 
CE 8'| 9.6. by5.9 by. 2.3.:.2-%- 7 by 4.3 by 1.2.... 8.1 by 4.9 by 1.7. 
ESTE ee ae 2 Sa DY el yore ee: PADDY OL Dy l.3>. 2252: 8 by 5.1 by 1.7. 
Number Size after engorging. 
Number of engorge | of ticks 
ment. meas- 
ured. Maximum. Minimum. | Average. 
Mm. Mm. Mm. 
ee ano by Giby?3:5: 2" ta. Gilby 4 be See Freee 8.8 by 5.4 by 2.7. 
ae 20 | 10.5 by 6.5 by 3.5...... Shy & by2.5..:..-..-- 9.5 by 5.6 by 2.9. 
eee ee ef PAR DyiGsbg3.5 2 So i2s. 8 by 4.2 by 2.25 9.6 by 5.6 by 2.7. 
hee 17 | 11 by 6.5 by 3......... 8.5 by 4.5... .| 9.4 by 5.5 by 2.6. 
re ee 2 See 3 14 | 10.3 by 6 by 2.7........| 8 by 4.7 by 1.9....-.-.. 9.2 by 5.5 by 2.5. 
a £4102 Dy.05. Dyv0-... 4-4-|.9-4 Dy 5.7 DY 2.4... 9.8 by 5.9 by 2.9. 
SG 2 | 9.9 by 5.9 by PSG) Si $.3'by 5:5 Dy 332. 9.6 by 5.7 by 2.8. 
LIFE CYCLE. 
This tick as a larva attaches to a fowl, preferably beneath the 
wings, remains attached usually for 5 or 6 days, becomes engorged, 
and, afew hours before dropping, flattens out and assumes the typical 
Argas shape. The larve drop at night, at a time when the fowl host 
is upon the roost and where they will be near the host when ready to 
engorge again. In summer a period of 4 or more days passes before 
the engorged larve molt and the 8-legged nymphs appear. The 
second engorgement, which occurs at night, lasts only a few hours at 
the most and is followed in summer by a period of 7 days or more 
before the second molt. A third engorgement occurs at night and 
11 days or more pass before any of the ticks molt and appear as adults. 
In about one-seventh of the individuals there is an extra nymphal or 
