116 
Iotals of the Transvaal Museum. 
brightly. The grooves on the shield are almost obsolete, and the tine 
pmnctuations are very tine and superficial and few in number. The 
large punctuations are very large and distributed in four irregular 
longitudinal rows. These rows may vary in continuity, and the relative 
number and size of punctuations, both large and small, may vary 
considerably. The anal plates are triangular, with posterior edge 
.rounded and inner edge concave (VIII, f). 
Pi. nitens is considered by some workers as only a variety of 
appendieulatusg The punctuations on the dorsal shield are numerous, the 
small ones are very fine and superficial, but the large ones are confined 
to the margins and irregularly distributed in the anterior region. The. 
anal plates are. semi-lunate in shape and pointed at both ends. 
R. lunulatus lies between sanguineus and simus: The males are 
smaller than simus, but almost equal to sanguineus. The small punctua- 
tions of the shield are larger than in either of these species, more numerous 
and evenly distributed over the whole surface. The large punctuations are 
most numerous in the anterior, position, but four irregular lines extend 
longitudinally over the shield. The anal plates are triangular and 
uoncave on the posterior margin, forming two sharp teeth on posterior 
angles (VIII, g). 
Pi. duttoni is very similar to R. appendiculatus and R. lunulatus . It differs 
from the former, however, in the body not projecting beyond the lateral 
margins of the dorsal , shield ; the fine punctuations are more evenly dis- 
tributed over the surface of the shield, and larger than the fine punctua- 
tion of appendiculatus ; the posterior angles of the base of the rostrum are 
more prominent than in appendiculatus. The anal plates are not spindle 
shaped, as in appendiculatus, but broadly triangular, with the inner angle 
of the base very prolonged and sharp. In lunulatus the two basilar angles 
.are of about equal length and the plates are not so wide. 
Females of Bhipicephalus. (See Plate X.) 
The females of this genus are much more difficult to distinguish 
than the males. The characters most used are the shields, as with the 
males, and the base of the rostrum. 
Based on shape of shields, we may divide the species into two groups, 
(1) those with shields longer than wide, and (2) those with shields as wide 
or practically as wide as long. Class one includes sanguineus, with the 
doubtful species punclatiss imus and appendiculatus, although the last one 
is not always apparently longer than wide. The remaining species come 
under class two. Dividing the species on the character of the eyes, we 
find that everisi and oculatus have spherical eyes, situated in deep orbits, 
while the remaining species have flat unorbited eyes. In evertsi and 
capensis the punctuations on the shields are so numerous as to produce 
a shagreened effect, while the remainder of the species have the punctua- 
tions distinct and not coalescing. 
R. evertsi is easily recognised from its broad <~>vai shield, orbited eyes, 
and shagreened surface, as well as by its saffron -coloured legs (IX, a). 
R. oculatus does not have the heart-shaped shield shagreened, but 
the eyes are orbited, setting it off at once as distinct from the other 
species (IX, l)). The punctuations are mostly fine and distinct, with a few 
