ANNALS 
OF 
J’he Transvaal Jfiuseum. 
Vol. I. AUGUST, 1908. No. 2. 
A LIST OF THE TICKS OF SOUTH AFRICA, 
With Descriptions and Keys to all the Forms known. 
By C. W. Howard, 
Government Entomologist for Mozambique-. 
There are probably none of the external parasites of domestic animals 
of more importance to the stock raiser in South Africa than the ticks, 
owing to the large number of diseases which they transmit from animal 
to animal. The ticks of South Africa have, however, only been studied 
with regard to their connection with the transmission of diseases, and very 
few people are aware of the distinction, between the various species and the 
various forms of the same species. 
AVith a view to throwing a little more light on these creatures, and 
mainly of assisting the work of those interested in the study of the 
diseases referred to, a study of the ticks of South Africa was taken up by 
me about three years ago while in the Transvaal. Since then a large 
number of the life histories of these ticks have been worked 
out, and their immature stages carefully studied and compared. 
There are still many species which I have not been able to 
see owing to the rareness Avith which they occur, hut in such 
cases I have compiled the literature from other authors and placed 
it in such shape as I consider will prove useful to the South African 
Avorkers. There is still an immense amount of work to be done on this 
subject, and my only plea for placing this paper before the public is in the 
hopes that it will arouse more interest in such studies, and consequently 
adAunce the work. 
Family IXODIDAE. 
The ticks or Ixodicke are distinguishable from the other families of 
the order Acarina by the following characters : — 
They are always large enough to he visible to the naked eye, flat when 
young, more or less SAvollen when fully engorged with blood ; the females 
almost ahvays larger than the males, often attaining in certain species the 
size of a hazel nut. The integument is always coriaceous, and usually of 
a dull colour, such as hrown or reddish-brown, but sometimes adorned 
with bright colours and designs. 
