282 Annals of the South African Museum. 



Philopterid forms from a wide range of hosts may truly enough, as 

 in the present case, represent one species, there is nothing unnatural 

 or unlikely in their being referable to distinct species. Both condi- 

 tions in fact do, we believe, occur. The even more improbable case 

 of two extremely similar* species occurring on the same host 

 species, is found in the genus Ninnus on so common a British bird 

 as Turdus merula. 



DOCOPHOEUS EXCISUS, N. (1818). 



Docoplwrus excisus, Nitzsch, in Giebel, Ins. Epiz. p. 88, pi. ix. 



figs. 1, 2, 3 (1874). 

 $ . Hirundo rustica. 



DOCOPHORUS LARI, Denny (1842). 



Docopliorus lari, Denny, Monogr. Anopl. Brit. p. 89, pi. v. p. 9 



(1842). 



$ . Tringa subarquata. 

 5 $ $ . Diomedea melanophrys. 

 2 $ $ , 4 5 ?,4 imm. Laras dominicanus. 

 2 $ $ , 3 ? ? . Lams hartlaubi. 



17 3 $ , 16 ? ? , 27 imm. Larus hartlaubi. Table Bay, July, 1913. 

 8 $ $ , 5 ? $ . Larus hartlaubi. Table Bay, Sept., 1913. 



Piaget (Les Pediculines, p. 112, 1880) reports a var. parva from 

 Larus dominicanus (Valdivia), but we prefer to leave the discussion of 

 varieties over till we have seen material from more species of South 

 African Larus. 



DOCOPHORUS LEUCOGASTER, Giebel (1874). 



Docopkorus leucogaster, Giebel, Ins. Epiz. p. 300 (1874). 

 13 $ $ , 11 ? ? , 6 imm. Buteo jakal. 1912-1913. 



Not having seen examples of D. platyrrynchus, N., we are unable 

 to say from examination of the genitalia how the insects compare. 

 But there is every reason to believe on general grounds that 

 D. leucogaster, G., is a synonym or at most a variety of Nitzsch's 

 species. 



DOCOPHORUS MELANOCEPHALUS, N. (1818). 



Docophorus melanoceplmlus , Nitzsch, in Giebel, Ins. Epiz. p. 110, 



pi. xi. fig. 8 (1874). 

 2 $ ? . Sterna berrjii. May, 1913. 



* Analogous to the occurrence of, say, two cursor-like Docophori on the same 

 species of owl. 



