G. H. F. Nutt ALL 
111 
RHIPICEPHALUS APPENDICULATUS. 
The species was first raised Uy Lounsbnry in South Africa in 
connection with investigations upon East Coast Fever in cattle during 
which he demonstrated that it is the usual vector of this devastating 
disease: 
Lounsbury (1904, pp. 3-7) has shown that R. appeyidiculatus is 
a three-host tick. The larvae stay upon the host 3-10 days or 
longer depending upon the more or less favourable seat of attach¬ 
ment upon the skin of the host; the nymphs gorge and abandon 
the host in a few days and the females remain attached for about 
nine days when put on the host simultaneously with males; the 
latter may remain for a considerable time upon the host. The tick 
prefers to attach itself to the inner surface or hairy margin of the 
ears of cattle which serve as its chief hosts. Metamorphosis from 
egg to larva takes place in five weeks to five months according to 
the temperature at which the eggs are maintained prior to 
hatching, cold therefore markedly retarding development. Larvae 
change to nymphs in two weeks or more. All stages may survive 
unfed for several week on grass and unfed nymphs survived for 
seven months in a corked bottle containing moist sand. Adults 
are scarce on cattle in winter and in the course of Lounsbury’s 
experiments it was found difficult to make them attach themselves 
to cattle during the cold season. The contrary holds for nymphs 
and larvae which are found on cattle in winter and readily attack 
their hosts in cold weather. Several thousand eggs are laid by 
each female. Two generations at most are produced in a year. 
In the course of my investigations on East Coast Fever I took 
occasion to make a systematic study of the biology of the tick of which 
I received several infected lots from South Africa, thanks to the kindness 
of Mr C. P. Lounsbury. My raising notes only relate however to Lot 
(a) received 10. xi. 1910 and Lot (h) received in 1905. We have 
maintained the strain of Lot (a) to date. 
