132 



Annals of the Tkansvaal Museum. 



.curved, the two extremities pointed and almost similar, punctuations 

 numerous ; no accessory plates nor caudal prolongations. Rostrum with 

 base twice as wide as long, marked with two or three large punctuations ; 

 the posterior and lateral angles salient ; pal])i shorter than the base, 

 articles II and III of the same length, wider than long ; article I very 

 visible on its dorsal surface ; prolonged in a retrograde point on 

 the ventral surface ; a. retrograde spine ventral and anterior on 

 -article III ; liypostome with six rows of teeth. Legs medium, not 

 punctured, conforming to type ; coxae I with an interior prolongation 

 visible from the dorsal surface. 



Female (young). — Body of tlie same form, dimensions, and colours as 

 in the male. Shield shining, oval-lozenge shaped, scarcely longer tlian 

 wide ; cervical grooves deep at their origin, scarcely marked and almost 

 joining the posterior edge ; marginal grooves united at their origin to the 

 cervical grooves, very superficiah reaching almost the posterior margin ; 

 punctuations unequal, numerous, superficial, larger near the latero-anterior 

 •edges, and in the middle space ; eyes large, flat, greenish yellow, situated 

 near the middle of the length of the shield. Dorsal surface shining, 

 glabrous, with superficial grooves ; a few scattered punctuations ; 

 posterior festoons present ; marginal groove passing from the shield to the 

 posterior limit of tlie ])enultimate festoon. Ventral surface wrinkled, 

 glabrous, a little ])unctured. Rostruia conforming to the type ; the base 

 more than twice as wide as long, with posterior angles not prominent ; 

 porose areas large, o^■al, divergent, separated by more than their width. 

 Legs long, slender, witli jninctuations su])erficial ; long hairs on the ventral 

 surface of all the articles. 



Hosts. — Cattle, wild Cape dog. 

 ; IJ(d)itirt. — Cape Colony, Transvaal. 



Tlie habits of this tick are very similar to those of /?. a ppendiculatus, 

 of wliicli it mav be only a variety, but more specimens of the adults are 

 found on tlie face of the host, and the nymphs seem to require longer for 

 ■engorgemeut. It is not very common in the Transvaal. 



EHIPICEPHALUS SIMUS. KOCH. 



The Black-pitted Tick. 



BJiip. simus, Ivoch (1844, 1847). 



Bhip. senegalensis, Koch (1844, 184T). 



Bill p. praete.vtatus, Gerstacker (1873). 



Bhip. simus, Koch (Xeumann, 1897). 



Plate yjJJ. figure f ; Plate IX, figure f : Plate X\ figures /", /' ; Plate XL 



figures r, f, h. 



ILite. — Body oval, rounded liehind. wliere it is twice as wide as in 

 front ; length 4 to 6 mm. (without rostrum) l)y 2.2 to 3.5 mm. wide. Dorsal 

 shield (VIIL f) a little convex, shining, very dark coloured, almost black, 

 glabrous, covering all the dorsal surface, except on the largest individuals 

 when it is bordered in frout and behind l)y a narrow margin of the body ; 

 cervical grooves deep, wide and short, a little divergent ; eyes large, 

 yellowish, margiiial groove deep, extending from the eyes to the anterior 

 •edge of the ])enultimate or ante-penultimate festoon ; festoons elongate. 



