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ON SIPHONAPTERA COLLECTED IN ALGERIA. 



By K. JORDAN, Pu.D., and the Hon. N. CHARLES ROTHSCHILD, M.A. 



(Plates VI.— XII.). 



DURIN(i the spring of the j)reseiit year (1012) the Hon. L. W. Rothschild 

 and the .senior author of this paper again paid a visit to Algeria, chiefl_v 

 with a view to collecting Lepidoptera. As the British Museum had hardly any 

 small mammals from the coast district and the Central Plateau-t, and as, moreover, 

 very little was known of the Siphonaptera of Algeria, some time was devoted during 

 the visit to collecting mammalia and their ectoparasites, with the result that 

 16U-odd skins belonging to 16 species were brought home, as well as a fairly large 

 number of fleas and other parasites. 



The collections were made in fonr localities — Alger, Hammam Rirha, Guelt-es- 

 Stel, and Khenchela — the first two places being situated in Northern Algeria and 

 the other two on the Central Plateaux. The strong physiographical contrast which 

 exists ou the one hand between the northern district of Algeria (i.e. the coast 

 inclnsive of the northern mountain ranges) and on the other the high plains 

 which are the centre of the country, and extend from west to east, has produced, 

 as is well known, also most striking contrasts in the fauna and flora. The 

 coast district is characterised by a good supply of water, luxuriant vegetation, 

 cornfields and vineyards, the mountains being clad with forest. The mammals 

 and fleas obtained at Alger and Hammam Rirha are identical, and from the look 

 of the country we presume that the same species extend southward to the northern 

 borders of the central plains as far as the same conditions of life prevail — to the 

 neighbourhood of Boghari, for instance. The traps intended for shrews and rodents 

 (to be caught alive) were placed under the rank vegetation at the edges of fields 

 and meadows and in the hedges. The neighbourliood of Alger being much 

 frequented, it was not always easy to find places where the traps were safe from 

 interference. As the traps, however, can be entirely covered up, and as also the 

 butterfly net distracted the attention of the Arabs who might happen to be 

 looking ou from a distance, few traps were stolen. The chief hunting grounds 

 near Alger were the large garden of Mrs. Beresford,* opposite Hotel Alexandra, 

 the valley of the Femme Sauvage, and the fields between Birmandreis and the 

 Chateau Hydra. The best I'laces at Hammam Rirha were the roadsides and fields 

 at the back of the Grand Hotel. The number of species collected is very small. 

 The absence of the mole and all Arcicolidae from Algeria is interesting, as these 

 mammals are not particularly rare in South Portugal. The various mammals were 

 kindly named for us by BIr. Oldtield Thomas, F.R.S. 



I. ALGER AND HAMMAM RIRHA. 



1. Crocidura ricsstda is quite common in places which are kept damp by the 

 rank vegetation. 1 obtained more specimens of this shrew than of any other 



• We express our thanks also iu this iilace lu Mrs. BeresforJ for the very kiail permission to trap 

 in her garden, where the following species were obtained: Cr.'cidiira rmaiila, Arrie^ntliit harharw, 

 Mm^ aU/irys, Mux alexandrinus, and Apodemits xi/lvatictm. 



