452 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Dec., '08 



A new genus of the Siphonaptera. 



By PAST ASSISTANT SURGEON CARROLL Fox, P. H. & 



M. H. S. 



Seven specimens in all, 2 males and 5 females, a description 

 of which follows, have been obtained, from the Scapaints 

 calif ornicus taken in San Francisco. Believing them to be 

 new, I sent them to Mr. Rothschild, who kindly looked at them 

 and pronounced them representatives of a new genus, point- 

 ing out certain characteristic features. 



CORYPSYLLA gen. nov. 



Spines on the head, structure of head, spines on back of 

 abdomen, mesothorax not divided by a vertical suture, epister- 

 num of metathorax fused with the metanotum. Hind coxae 

 with a patch of spines on inside. All tarsi with four pairs of 

 lateral spines on fifth segment. 



Corypsylla ornatus spec. nov. 



Head very gently sloping towards the front to just above the root 

 of the first genal spine where it rather abruptly changes its direction 

 and curves downward and backward forming an angle. This anterior 

 border of the frons is more decidedly curved in the female. The gena 

 is broad from above downwards and in the posterior border is a dis- 

 tinct notch. Starting well up on the frons and extending downward so 

 that the last one partly overlaps the maxilla is a row of spatulate 

 spines six in number. They have their origin close to the anterior 

 margin of the head. The first, or highest of the group extends to 

 the anterior margin of the antennal groove, and terminates with a 

 square end. The second is a little longer and slightly overlaps the 

 anterior margin of the antennal groove and terminates with a bluntly 

 rounded end. The third is still longer and overlaps the anterior mar- 

 gin of the antennal groove, the end being as it were, cut off at an 

 angle. The fourth is by far the longest extending to the prosternum. 

 Its end is much enlarged and terminates with an acute angle. The 

 fifth is longer and narrower than the third, having somewhat the 

 shape of the blade of a penknife. The sixth is shorter than the fifth 

 and rather indistinct in outline. The maxilla is short, broad and tri- 

 angular in shape with the posterior border distinctly serrate. Eyes 

 absent. The maxillary palpi are four jointed, not as long as the labial 

 palpi. The labial palpi are five jointed and extend almost to the end 

 of the fore coxae in the females, but are somewhat shorter in the males. 

 Just above the first genal spine is a row of four bristles running 



