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Adult .—After a few days on the host, copulation 
commences. The mode is not exactly known. It is 
believed that the rostrum of the male (without the 
palpi) is inserted into the vulva of the female and by 
some means or other, or possibly by the help of the 
palpi, the spermatophores of the male are conveyed 
to the vulva of the female. In some ticks it is the male 
that seeks out the females, while in other species the 
females fight for the male. 
When the females are gorged and have left their 
host (in some species after a day’s stay only) they 
become in a few days less plump and a characteristic 
yellow mottling appears, due to distension of the 
malpighian tubes with their secretion. Egg laying is 
now proceeding. When complete the tick shrivels up 
and dies. The life of a tick is a variable period. From 
the beginning of the larval stage to the beginning of 
egg laying is, for Eu. appendiculatus , II weeks, for 
M . decoloratus , three weeks. 
Argasinae 
(a) Examine the dust of the floor of rest houses, 
the gravel in native passenger sheds (in India), the 
debris beneath ‘ halting ’ trees, bed platforms, the 
hearth in native huts, cracks in walls, etc., etc., for 
Ornithodoros. A sieve is useful for sifting the dust. 
Confine the ticks in Petri dishes with some gravel. 
( b ) Place the dust to be examined near a good 
fire and capture with a moistened brush or finger tip 
the very young ticks now revealed by their activity. 
£ gg- — 
O. moubata .—Lays eggs at intervals of a week or 
so, io to 20 or even 50 to 100 in a batch. The eggs are the 
colour of glue, 0*88 by 0*77 mm. Examine with a low 
