THE RABBIT TICK. 91 
well-engorged female collected March 7, 1910. The mean tempera- 
ture for the period was 68.62° F. The average preoviposition period 
of 25 ticks observed during the spring and summer months was 8 
days. The engorged female is usually comparatively small, due 
Fic. 5.—The rabbit tick, Hamaphysalis leporis-palustris: Distribution in the United States. The large 
dots show localities where the species has been collected in our investigation. The small dots show 
the probable distribution of the species. (Original.) 
probably to the fact that it is confined to the smaller mammals and to 
bird hosts. Owing to its rather small size it deposits comparatively 
few eggs. Eight females were under observation. The largest num- 
ber of eggs deposited by a single female was 2,240; the smallest 
