Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 



margins, slightly elliptical, with elongation extending postero-laterally ; anus 

 at posterior third of length. Eostrum {A' HI, h) short, dark brown in colour ; 

 dorsal surface of base triangular in outline ; palpi elongate and slender ; 

 article 11 more tlian twice as long as article 111 ; hjpostome spatulate, 

 denticles on its tip, followed on each half b}- one row of four teeth, then 

 by six or seven rows of strong teeth, two to a row, squamose denticles to 

 base ; mandibles with process of inner apophysis of digit tridentate, outer 

 apophysis bidentate, with two small denticles on anterior edge of anterior 

 tooth. Legs short, slender, dark reddish brown in colour ; coxae each 

 with a wide, sharply pointed spine on the posterior margin ; tarsi short 

 and thick, not sharply attenuated at terminus. 



Larva (unengorged). — Colour light yellowish brown, shield darker, 

 oval in outline, slightly longer than wide; length 0.75 mm., width 0.50 

 mm. Shield covers aaiterior third of body, much wider than long, broadly 

 rounded beliind, surface reticulated ; cervical grooves deep and straight, 

 almost reacliing the posterior margin ; no marginal groove ; cervical 

 ■emargination very deep ; eyes Hat, at lateral angles, small, yellowish. 

 Dorsal surface {A ll], 1-) witli a lono' median groove ; a marginal groove 

 extending all round the body, forming the limit of the festoons, and in 

 dried specimens causing the edge of the body to turn up sharply ; festoons 

 large, well marked. Ventral surface {XT II, i) with three posterior grooves, 

 radiating from the anus, which is anterior of the posterior third ; festoons 

 well marked ; inarginal groove not marked ; stigmatic o])enings large in 

 three pairs, one pair posterior of eacli pair of coxae. Eostrum wide and 

 narrow on dorsal surface ; lateral angles sharply pointed, posterior margin 

 straight ; articulated with shield by a very long neck ; ventral surface 

 more or less rectangular in outline, lateral angles not prominent ; hypostome 

 spatulate, with denticles at tip, then four rows of large sharp teeth, seven 

 leeth in each row ; mandibles {XIII, c/) with outer apo])hysis bidentate, 

 the anterior margin of the anterior tooth bearing a crest composed of 

 two larger teeth, on the inner edge of them a row of saw teeth ; inner 

 apophysis with process tridentate ; palpi long and slender, article I very 

 short, cylindrical ; articles II and III of about equal length, swollen 

 at their anterior ends ; article II very much constricted at its base, 

 anterior half and article III concave on their inner edges. Legs thick, 

 almost translucent in colour ; coxae larg^e, well separated from each 

 other, coxae I triano'ular, coxae II and III rectang'ular in outline, each 

 with two wide blunt teetli on posterior margin, almost unnoticeable on 

 coxae HI ; tarsi normal. 



Eggs. — Small, elli])tical, surface smooth and shining ; 0.75 mm. 

 long by O.o mm. wide ; colour light reddish brown, singly, but in a mass 

 dark rechlish l)rown. 



Ilost^. — Tortoise, rhinoceros (Eli Inoceros lucerius), snakes. Larvae 

 and nyin])hs also feed readily on ox and goat, and on some kind-; of birds 

 and lizards. 



Habitat. — Capo Colonv. Transvaal, German Fast Africa, British East 

 iVfrica, Zanzil)ar, I^^nner Zambesia. 



This tick is a verv common i^ara-ito on tortoise^ in South Africa. 

 It (l(H\s not seem to be influenced bv climatic eonditions to the san^e 

 extent as the two last-mentioned species, beino- found alike in the dry. 

 semi-desert regions, anrl in reo:ions of abundant rainfall. Xymphs and 

 adults are found in laro-o numbers on tortoises. 



