426 
may  also  be  the  means  of  disseminating-  cattle  ticks.  This  supposi¬ 
tion  cannot,  however,  hold  good,  as  the  writer  found  no  evidence  in 
support  of  this  theory.  Not  a  single  tick  was  found  on  this  animal 
with  the  exception  of  the  species  {Aniblyomma  dissiniile),  which  is 
peculiar  to  this  Batrachian.  Moreover,  these  animals  do  not  wander 
far  afield,  so  that  it  is  positively  certain  that  they  are  not  and  cannot 
have  been  responsible,  in  any  degree,  for  the  dissemination  of  cattle 
ticks.  The  mongoose  has  also  been  accused  of  carrying  ticks  from 
one  district  to  another,  and  there  may  be  some  truth  in  this  state¬ 
ment  ;  but  further  proof  is  necessary,  all  the  more  so,  seeing  that  this 
animal  seems  to  be  remarkably  free  from  tick  infestation.  However, 
such  an  animal  might  easily  carry  a  colony  of  ‘  grass  lice,’  in  its  coat 
of  long  hair,  to  a  very  great  distance  before  the  parasites  relinquished 
their  hold.  It  seems  to  the  writer,  however,  that  he  is  rather  begging 
the  question  in  discussing  these  apparently  trivial  points  in  regard 
to  both  the  Bull-frog  and  the  Mongoose.  But  these  were  matters  to 
which  his  attention  was  frequently  called  during  his  stay  in  the 
Island ;  and  the  best  interpretation,  in  the  light  of  our  present 
knowledge,  has  been  given. 
THE  PREVAILING  CONDITIONS  UNDER  WHICH  PASTURES  ARE 
EITHER  MOST  FREE  OR  MOST  INFESTED  WITH  TICKS 
One  of  the  questions  put  to  the  Pen  Keepers  was :  ‘  Have  you 
made  any  observations  as  to  the  conditions  under  which  pastures  are 
(<2)  most  free  of  ticks,  (Jj)  most  infested  with  ticks  ?’  There  were 
twenty-six  replies,  of  which  a  tabulated  resume  is  here  appended  :  — 
(a)  Most  free  from  ticks 
10.  Pastures  free  from  weeds  and  bush 
I.  Poor  land  and  poor  feeding 
I.  Common  grass 
I.  Scarcity  of  green  grass 
i.  Guinea  grass  not  fed  by  stock 
I .  Pastures  under  constant  feeding 
I.  Pastures  in  which  cattle  are  kept  from 
June  to  December 
I.  When  stock  are  absent 
(b)  Most  infested  with  ticks 
5.  Guinea  grass  and  dirty  pastures 
I.  Guinea  grass 
I.  Rich  glades  with  high  guinea  grass 
I.  An  abundance  of  dry  grass 
I.  Heavily  shaded  and  foul 
I.  Pastures  in  which  cattle  are  kept  from  January 
to  May 
I.  .Periodically  fed  guinea  grass 
I.  Bushy  and  hard  fed  pastures 
I.  Clumps  of  bamboos  with  trash  beneath 
them 
I.  Accumulations  of  tr.ash  in  cool  shady  places 
