831 
N. ClJNLIFFE AND Gr. H. F. NUTTALL 
Feeding. In each of the foregoing series of experiments, the female ticks 
were offered food after the times indicated in the synopses, but they either 
refused to gorge or took very insignificant quantities of blood. However it 
is probable, had they been in permanent association with the host and able 
to select their own times of feeding, that they would have fed over longer 
periods. In the case of the ticks kept at 37° C., the high temperature adversely 
affected their vitality and after a period of about 70-100 days they appeared 
to be unable to feed. The two females, which did feed slightly about the 
150th day, died almost immediately afterwards 1 . 
Copulation usually occurs very shortly after the ticks have finished feeding. 
In the series of experiments which was discarded, copulation was observed 
on two occasions when the females were 289 days old and was succeeded in 
one case by the deposition of fertile eggs after 310 days. Females may be 
fertilised before engorgement, but no case of fertilisation by an unfed male 
was noted, probably owing to its non-activity in this state. During the course 
of these experiments it was found that copulation between individuals of the 
two species O. moubata and O. savignyi 2 could occur and as the females are 
apparently non-parthenogenetic, it would seem that the stimulus of coition 
is sufficient to induce oviposition. 
No evidence of parthenogenesis. It is of interest to note the regularity with 
which oviposition commenced about 15 days after the male was allowed access 
to the female (at 30° C.), irrespective of the age of the female. In each case, 
the males were newly emerged, fully fed and very active, with the result that 
the females were probably immediately fecundated. At a temperature of 
22° C., the period between the date of introduction of the male and ovi¬ 
position was more variable, due probably to varying dates of fecundation. 
At this temperature the activity of the individual was considerably diminished. 
To determine whether 0. moubata could reproduce parthenogenetically, ten 
females, emerging in June 1913, were reared separately. They were fed in June, 
July, September and November 1913, maintained at 30° C. between feeds and 
they died in February and March 1914, without oviposition having occurred, 
except in one case, in which the female deposited 183 fertile eggs in 15-36 days 
after emergence on 1. vi. 13. This female was first fed on 6. vi. 13. 
It is probable that this female was fertilised unobserved, perhaps while 
feeding, and further evidence is necessary before parthenogenesis can be con¬ 
sidered to be even of rare occurrence in this species. 
1 Some records of the duration and extent of engorgement are given on pp. 336, 337. 
2 Copulation between individuals of the two species O. moubata and O. savignyi , when main¬ 
tained at 30° C. 
(a) Two female O. moubata were associated with four male O. savignyi and fed on 21. v» 13, 
25. vi. 13 and 28. viii. 13. A spermatophore was observed attached to the sexual aperture of 
one female on 27. viii. 13. No oviposition occurred. 
( b ) Conversely, two female O. savignyi and two male O. moubata were associated and fed as 
above. Spermatophores were observed attached to one female on 17. vi. 13 and to the second 
on 8. vii. 13. Oviposition occurred on 15-16. vii. 13 (32 eggs) and on 11-19. ix. 13 (107 eggs), 
none of the eggs being fertile. 
