130 



Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 



coxae II and III rectangular^ coxae III with a small posterior tooth ; tarsi 

 long and thick. 



Eggs. — Light yellowish hrown in colour ; elliptical in outline^ surface- 

 smooth and sliiny ; length 0.50 mm. b}^ 0.30 mm. wide. 



Hosts. — C'attle, horse, mule, sheep, goat, dog, rabbit, buffalo (Bos 

 coffer), man. 



Hahifat. — Cape Colony, Transvaal, Kliodesia, Portuguese East Africa,, 

 Xatal. 



This tick is the principal agent in the transmission of the East Coast 

 fever. It seems to be a general feeder on all warm-blooded animals, and i& 

 of very wide distribution over the whole of South Africa except in extremely 

 , dry places in the interior. 



EHIPICEPHALUS BEESA. CANESTBINI AND FANZAGO. 



Rhipicephalus bursa, Canestrini and Eanzago (1877-78). 

 RhipicepJialus hilenus, Pavesi (1883). 

 ' Bhipicephahis bursa, Canestrini and Fanzago (Xeuniann, 1897). 

 • ., - Fhite VIIJ, figure // ; Flats X, figure 



Mate. — Length 1:.5 mm. l)y 3 mm. wi(k', regularly widened from front- 

 to back, sometimes provided in the posterior extreinity with a conical 

 appendage. Shield {VIII, h) reddish brown, ordinarily covering all the- 

 dorsal surface, sprinkled with fine pores on all its extent, the largest on the 

 borders, sometimes transparent and allowing the branches of the intestines- 

 to show through as black radiating lines ; cervical grooves short ; a short 

 median groove in posterior portion, on each side of which are two rounded 

 pits ; posterior margin divided into eleven rectangular festoons ; eyes pale,, 

 situated at the level of the posterior margin of coxae 11. Ventral surface 

 brownisii red ; covered with fine hairs ; on each side of the anus a tri- 

 angular plate, sides equal in length, base very wide, lateral of each of these' 

 plates, a straight spine, weak, often a little chitinous. Bostrum with base 

 wider than long ; prominent lateral angles ; palpi rather short and thick 

 and angular on their outer edges, articles I and II bearing on their inner- 

 ventral edges each a prominence, very marked on article I ; a row of stout 

 spines, a little dentate on the inner ventral edges ; hypostome with six rows 

 of teeth, each row composed of about 12 teeth ; mandi])les with process of 

 inner apophysis elongate transversely land tridentate, outei' apophysis 

 bidentate, terminal tooth very weak. Legs with coxae of their last pair,, 

 provided with two spines on their posterior margin, one in the middle, the- 

 other on the inner angle ; tarsi of the three last pairs terminated by tw^o 

 consecutive, well-developed claws. 



Female (young). — Body oval, flat, reddish brown, 4 mm. long by 2 mm. 

 wide ; (engorged) it is ovoid, swollen, thick, almost as wide at each end, 

 and often attains a size of 17 mm. long bv 9 mm. wide. Dorsal shield {X, h} 

 an oval lozenge, w^th sides sinuous and rounded, almost as wide as long, 

 hollowed by very numerous pores e([ual and evenly distributed ; eyes near 

 the middle of the length, lateral grooves not Avell formed. Dorsat 

 integument ordinarily provided with thinly distributed hairs, more abundant 

 on the ventral surface ; when young, numerous punctuations on the dorsal 

 surface ; a marginal groove on each side, three very deep grooves, the- 



