ENEMIES OF TICKS. 37 
ard it was learned thai it belongs to a new species and genus! Chalci- 
doids of the subfamily to which it undoubtedly belongs are known to 
be parasitic on various dipterous larvae. Upon reexamination of the 
remains of the tick a portion of a dipterous cocoon was found. Con- 
sequently the hymenopteron was probably not a parasite of the tick, 
although t lu i interesl remains, since the dipteron was probably para- 
sitic on the tick. 
A number of observations have been made showing that domestic 
fowls frequently learn to remove ticks from cattle in barn lots. Mr. 
F. C. Pratt observed a case in which the fowls regularly visited hides 
hanging up to dry Un- the purpose of picking up the ticks which 
dropped from them. Mr. J. I). Mitchell has witnessed "jackdaws" 
(Quiscalus major macrourus) picking ticks from cattle near Victoria. 
Tex., and the farmer informed him that he believed these birds kept 
the cattle practically free of engorged or nearly engorged specimens. 
Mr. S. E. McClendon, of the Louisiana Experiment Station, informs 
us that he has repeatedly seen kingbirds (Tyrannus tyrannus) engaged 
in the same work. 
In connection with the enemies of ticks it may be stated that it 
serins likely that mice are of some importance. In the laboratory 
it was found that the best bait for mouse traps that could be used was 
engorged cattle ticks. It seems likely that in the pastures field mice 
may frequently devour ticks. Dutton and Todd (Human Tick fever, 
p. 17) write as follows: 'Ticks are not without natural enemies. 
Rats eat adults with avidity, and ants carry off young ones and 
eggs. We have lost ticks in both ways. One occasion over tw r o 
hundred young ticks were carried off in a single night by small 
ants." These remarks apply to Omithodoros moubata in West Africa. 
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE INFORMATION RECORDED 
IN THIS BULLETIN. 
In the preceding pages at different places the special practical 
importance of the data discussed has been mentioned. As a matter 
of fact the work upon which this bulletin is based has been planned 
to accumulate additional information for use in the practical work of 
tick eradication. Some methods of control are satisfactory in certain 
districts, but much less so in others. Plans that would be feasible 
along the northern border, for instance, where the tick is on a rather 
delicate equilibrium and is never found on the cattle for months during 
the winter, would not be applicable to the moist regions along the 
Gulf where the cattle arc infested throughout the year. Of the 
variou> methods of eradication undoubtedly those of the widesl 
utility are the ones which prevent the development of the ticks by 
breaking up the relation between them and the cattle. Of these, the 
more important are the feed-lot or soiling system for relieving the 
