1933 ] 
Giant Ticks of Malayan Rhinoceroses 
137 
THE GIANT TICKS OF THE MALAYAN 
RHINOCEROSES ; WITH A NOTE ON 
IXODES WALCKENAERII Gervais 
By J. Bequaert 
Department of Tropical Medicine and 
Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University 
In January, 1932, Major Arthur S. Vernay obtained, in 
Lower Perak, for the British Museum, one of the few re- 
maining specimens of the Sunda Rhinoceros, Rhinoceros 
sondaicus Desmarest. At the suggestion of my friend and 
colleague, Harold J. Coolidge, Jr., he undertook to col- 
lect the ecto- and endoparasites of this animal. The 
helminths have been reported upon by my colleague, Dr. 
Jack H. Sandground (1933, Jl. of Parasitology, XIX, pp. 
192-204) . Of ectoparasites, only numerous ticks were 
found; but shortly after the animal was shot, a number 
of horse-flies ( Tabanus brunneus Macquart) were observed 
biting through the thick hide. 
More recently (June, 1933) Major Vernay commissioned 
Major Rawley to secure, if possible, another R. sondaicus. 
An animal believed to be of that species was located in 
Selangor ; but, after being shot, it proved to be a Sumatran 
Rhinoceros, Rhinoceros sumatrensis Cuvier. Again the only 
ectoparasites met with were ticks; these were very few in 
number, eight in all being collected. 
Since the ticks obtained from these two Rhinoceroses 
belong to two different species, one of which is as yet im- 
perfectly known, some notes on these parasites may be 
of interest. I am much indebted to Major Vernay, Major 
Rawley, and Mr. Coolidge for the efforts they made in order 
to secure the specimens; and to Dr. P. H. Hodgkin, Ento- 
mologist, Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, 
for preserving and mailing them. 
