434 



BUEEAU OF ANIMAL IJSTDUSTEY. 



and very fine, brilliant, yellow in median portion, red on the sides, lateral of the 

 anterior grooves; eyes red. Scutum of adults of same form as that of B. annulatus 

 and B. australis, but smaller; furrows at first converging, then diverging to the 

 posterior lateral margins; median region of a light yellow color, laterals red. Eyes 

 not distinct. Dorsal surface of young yellowish white, smooth, the black intestinal 

 ramifications showing through; lateral margin raised, without marginal groove, pos- 

 terior festoons slightly apparent. Ventral surface yellowish, with underlying black 

 spots; anus reddish. Capitulum red, base very short and broad; posterior angles 

 scarcely salient, anterior and posterior, also antero-lateral and postero-lateral borders 

 equal. ''Mandibles with lesser [internal] process bicuspid, and presenting a rounded 

 process as well." Hypostome with six rows of teeth (three on each lateral half). 

 Legs generally yellowish, often red; coxse contiguous; coxse I with two short teeth; 

 tarsi short with two consecutive spurs; pulvillum short, scarcely one-third as long 

 as the claws. 



Habitat. — Cattle, horses, etc., Cape of Good Hope, Africa. 



Historical review of Boophilus decoloratus. 



This species was originally described by Koch (1844, p. 239) as 

 follows: 



Female. — Flat, oval, shining, ocher yellow, margin lighter all around; legs light 

 yellow; length 1 line. 

 Male. — Unknown. 

 Habitat. — South Africa.^ 



In 1847 Koch repeated this diagnosis, to which he added the follow- 

 ing description: 



The outline more oval than egg-shaped, the border slightly raised, without distinct 

 marginal groove on the hinder part; scutum shiny, with a groove on the sides, which 

 unites with the curved grooves in front and back, and, as in several species, incloses 

 a rautenfonnige [= square, diamond-shaped, lozenge-shaped!] elevation. Capitulum 

 short, broad, posterior margin straight anteriorly with a small groove each side of 

 the insertion of the haustellum. Palpi small; legs as usual. 



The entire body yellow dorsally, the rautenformige elevation on the scutum with 

 rust-reddish lines, capitulum and paVpi darker yellow, both with brownish edges. 

 Ventral surface and legs light yellow. 



One specimen.^ 



^ R. decoloratus. Flach, oval, glanzend, ockergelb, der Rand rundum heller, Beine 

 hellgelb. Liinge Weibchen. 

 Mannchen: unbekannt. 

 Vaterland: Siidafrika. 



^ Ehipicephalus decoloratus. Flach, oval, glanzend, ockergelb, der Rand heller, 

 Beine hellgelb. Weibchen. 

 Mannchen: unbekannt. 

 Lange 1^^^. 



Koch. Arch. f. Naturgesch. X. I., p. 239, n. 7. 



Der TJmriss mehr oval als eiformig, der Rand ein wenig aufwarts erhoht, ohne 

 deutliche Randfurche des Hinterleibes; der Kopfschild glanzend und auf diesem 

 eine Furche iiber den Seiten, welche sich vorn und hinten mit den geschwungenen 

 Furchen verbindet und wie bei mehreren Arten eine glanzende rautenformige Beule 

 einschliesst. Der Mundschild kurz, breit, hinten geradrandig, vorn beiderseits der 

 Einfiigung des Riissels mit einem Griibchen. Die Taster klein; die Beine wie 

 gewohnlich. 



Der ganze Korper oben gelb, die rautenformigen Beulen auf dem Kopfschilde mit 



