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Haemaphysalis punctata 
Terminology. 
One of the first features which strikes a reader, in perusing the 
published literature, is the hopeless confusion wrought by the loose use 
of terms, taken for the most part from the nomenclature used in the 
description of other classes of the animal kingdom, more particularly 
the Insecta. 
As an example one might mention the hypostome, to which names 
innumerable have been applied, many of them being unsupported by 
morphological relationship; thus creating erroneous impressions of the 
homologies of this structure. Thus the hypostome has been called :— 
(1) Lingua. (5) Maxilla. 
(2) Maxillo-labial dart. (6) Labium. 
(3) Glossoide. (7) Radula. 
(4) Ligida. (8) Languette. 
With a view of obviating some of this confusion, we have been 
reluctantly compelled to add more terms to the already excessive 
number : in other cases a selection has been made from the existing 
nomenclature of those which have appeared to be the most suitable. 
A list of the terms used, together with synonyms, will be appended 
at the end of this work. 
General Body-form. 
Haemaphysalis punctata presents no marked structural differences 
from the rest of the Lxodidae. The body is roughly elliptical in contour, 
flattened dorso-ventrally, slightly concave on the ventral surface and 
convex on the dorsal surface in unfed specimens. It shows no differen¬ 
tiation into cephalothorax and abdomen. Deeply implanted into a 
special opening at the anterior end of the body is the capitulum: this 
structure, frequently referred to as the ‘‘head,” is not such in a 
morphological sense, the true head of the tick comprising parts lying 
posterior to this and indistinguishably fused with the rest of the body. 
The capitulum is a very specialised structure, freely articulated with 
the body and bearing the oral opening together with its accompanying 
appendages. The mouth is not visible on external examination, being 
concealed between the median hypostome , ventrally, the palps laterally, 
and the paired chelicerae, dorsally. The palps are situated on either 
side of the hypostome and chelicerae and when adducted, ensheath and 
protect these medianally-placed appendages. 
