52 



JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



[Vol. 8 



may not yet be enough 3^oung fed on other rodents to keep up a seri- 

 ous infestation if domestic animals are allowed in the same territory 

 and left undipped. 



It seems probable that squirrel destruction is desirable only in com- 

 bination with dipping and that in this combination it will be useful 

 and lead to an earlier solution of the difficult}^ 



Recently Doctor L. D. Fricks of the United States Public Health 

 Service has advanced the idea that the grazing of sheep over tick 

 country may be useful as a supplementary method in the destruction 

 of ticks. He has^ found that many adults are killed in the wool of the 

 sheep. Experimental work and practical tests are being conducted. 

 The Bureau of Entomology has also made some studies on sheep as 

 automatic destroyers and has found that some females engorge on the 

 sheep and produce eggs which hatch. 



The work on sheep as tick destroyers is in an experimental stage. 

 It is not yet clear whether the number that will succeed in feeding to 

 maturity on sheep will be a serious drawback to this method. 



Okganization 



The work on tick control in Montana is being conducted under a plan 

 of cooperation embracing the Montana State Board of Entomology, 

 the United States Bureau of Entomology and the United States Public 

 Health Service. The State Board of Entomology was created by the 

 Montana Legislature in February 1913. The membership of this Board 

 is ex officio and made up of the secretary of the State Board of Health, 

 the State Veterinary Surgeon and the State Entomologist. The secre- 

 tary of the Board of Health is chairman and the Entomologist, secre- 

 tary. This Board is given authority among other things, to prescribe 

 and enforce rules and regulations for the eradication of the spotted 

 fever tick. The two federal services named are engaged in the work 

 in different portions of the Bitter Root valley, under such legal machin- 

 ery from the State Board of Entomology as has been found necessary 

 from time to time. 



The technical information concerning the tick on which the control 

 work is mainly based, has been secured through the joint efforts of 

 the Montana Experiment Station and the Bureau of Entomology. 

 The work has been planned and directed by Mr. W. D. Hunter and the 

 writer, while various men in the Bureau have contributed valuable 

 assistance. The field work in the Bitter Root valley was done mainly 

 by Mr. W. V. King, and the breeding and other laboratory work was 

 done in the Bureau's laboratory in Dallas by Messrs. C. F. Bishopp and 

 H. P. Wood. 



The Bureau of Biological Survey, through Dr. A. K. Fisher, gave 



