in  each  of  the  three  stages  without  access  to  a  host.  On  man  the 
larva  fills  its  body  to  repletion  in  from  two  to  four  days.  At  this  stage 
it  looks  very  like  a  No.  lo  gunshot,  and  is  then  easily  removed.  In 
several  instances  one  or  two  nymphs  were  found  associated  with  the 
colonies  of  larvae  on  plant  stems ;  but  both  nymphs  and  adults  are, 
relatively  speaking,  much  scarcer  than  the  ‘  grass  lice  ’  or  larvae. 
Hosts.  This  species  is  a  very  general  feeder  and  is  not  at  all 
particular  in  its  selection  of  hosts.  It  occurs  most  freely  on  ‘  horse- 
kind  ’  and  cattle ;  but  is,  generally  speaking,  most  abundant  on  the 
former.  With  the  horse  or  mule  it  confines  its  attacks  chiefly  to  the 
head,  though  it  is  often  found  inside  the  ears,  and  sometimes  also 
in  other  natural  cavities,  as  well  as  on  the  flanks,  withers,  mane  and 
tail ;  while  with  the  ox  (cattle)  it  may  be  found  attached  to  any  part 
of  the  body,  generally  in  company  with  its  more  abundant  relative, 
the  Texas  Fever  Tick  (M.  dnniilatiis  australis').  It  may  be 
interesting  to  add,  also,  that  there  are  several  authentic  records  of  its 
occurrence  on  the  tongues  of  young  calves,  though  no  specimens  were 
secured  from  such  situations.  It  is  common  on  the  pig  especially 
in  the  larval  or  ‘  grass  lice  ’  stage,  sometimes  completely  covering 
the  ears  of  the  animal ;  but  it  occurs  also  on  this  animal  in  both 
tfie  nymphal  and  adult  stages.  It  is  apparently  not  so  common 
on  the  dog,  though  specimens  in  all  stages  were  taken  from  this 
animal.  To  man  it  is  the  greatest  pest  of  the  Island,  attacking  him 
in  all  its  stages  from  the  larval  to  the  sexually  mature  males  and 
females.  It  is  a  most  vicious  biter,  and  when  it  has  gained  access 
to  the  skin  inserts  its  mouth  parts  (capitulum),  the  adults  producing 
an  irritating  wound  followed  often  by  intense  itching.  As  showing  the 
extent  to  which  this  tick  infests  man  in  Jamaica,  no  less  than  twenty- 
seven  adults  of  both  sexes,  and  swarms  of  larvae,  were  taken  from 
the  writer  after  walking  through  a  small  native  settlement  which  was 
surrounded  by  trees  and  an  undergrowth  of  scrub  and  long  grass. 
No  stock  had  been  turned  into  this  enclosure,  neither  was  it  accessible 
to  them  ;  but  numbers  of  pigs  were  running  about  the  place  in  a 
semi-wild  condition,  and  it  was  evident,  therefore,  that  these  animals 
were  acting  as  the  hosts  for  this  tick.  On  reaching  the  unclothed 
portions  of  the  body  they  bit  freely,  and  so  firmly  did  they  attach 
themselves  that  several  had  to  be  removed  with  forceps. 
From  the  Portland  district  comes  the  note  that  '  these  insects  (sic) 
