102 
Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 
This species does not seem to be abundant in the Transvaal, its 
numbers being* far surpassed by one of its varieties, impressum. I 
have never been able to obtain an engorged female so as to be able to 
rear the various stages of the life-cycle. A comparison of the few 
specimens which I have collected, however, reveals the following 
variations from the description as given by Neumann. The male is 
much smaller than Neumann states, and the outline of the body is 
altered by the posterior end being cut off almost square, or truncate. 
The shield is never lighter in the middle, and the median festoon 
was never found to be white. The cervical projections of the shield 
are much shorter than indicated in Neumann’s figure, as is also the 
length of the rostrum. But the greatest difficulty exists in the 
punctuations of the shield. Instead of the punctures being evenly 
•distributed over all the shield, those in a triangular, sunken area, 
whose base is the caudal margin, are confluent, rendering this area 
.shagreened. The female varies only in one respect, i.e. the lateral of 
the three grooves in the dorsal surface of the body in the unengorged 
.specimen does not branch into two unequal arms, but remains single. 
This' species is so variable that it was originally described under 
a large number of names, as shown by the long list of synonyms. 
Neumann was the first to study the various types carefully and bring 
them together under one name. He, however, noted three frequent 
variations from the type, and described them as varieties of the 
.species. 
HYALOMMA AEGYPTIUM, var. IMPRESSTJM. NEUMANN . 
H. aegyptium (Linn.), var .impressum, Neumann (1901). 
Plate V, figures a to d, g to m, o, p. 
Male . — Differs from the type species in the following characters : 
Dorsal surface widely rounded behind and not truncate ; larger than 
the type, length 4.3 to 5 min. (without rostrum), width 3.0 mm. to 
3.5 mm. Shield (V, a) convex; punctuations equal, small and so 
abundant as to render the surface shagreened, instead of unequal 
punctuations and a posterior triangular shagreened area ; cervical 
grooves longer, but posterior grooves, marginal grooves, and caudal 
festoons almost obliterated ; shagreening more marked towards the 
edges; median festoon rectangular, elongate; lateral tail of stigmatic 
plates narrower and longer (V , o ). 
Female. — Differs from specific type as follows: (Dnengorged) 
larger than type, 6 mm. long by 4 nun. wide. Body (V, c, d) 
elliptical in outline, widely rounded behind and not truncate as in 
type; shield larger, 2.75 mm. long, and nearly as wide; punctuations 
equal, fine, very abundant, making the shield shagreened; cervical 
emargination deeper ; cervical and lateral grooves not so strongly 
marked. Dorsal surface (V , . . c) in unengorged female more thickly 
and deeply punctured. 
Nympli. — (Only this variety has, with us, laid eggs and 
development followed in confinement.) Body (unengorged) broadly 
