302 NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE XXII. 1915. 



CONTRIBUTION TO OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE 

 SIPSONAPTEBA FRACTICIPITA. 



By the Hon. N. CHARLES ROTHSCHILD, M.A. 



(With 6 text-figares.) 



1. Leptopsylla lauta sp. nov. (text-figs. 1 and 2) 



S ? . Similar to /.. pectiniceps Wagn. (1893), but differs in the modified 

 abdominal .segments and some other details. 



Bead.— The frons is slightly shorter than in pectiniceps. The cinb of the 

 antenna is longer and narrower than in the only specimen (a ?) of pectiniceps 

 which we have. 



Thorax. — The pronotum bears only one row of bristles, not two as in pec- 

 tiniceps. 



Abdomen. — There are on each side three antepygidial bristles in the cj, the 

 middle one being long ; the ? bears three long and two short antepygidial bristles. 

 The sternites of segments III-VI have on each side three bristles in the ej and 

 three or four in the ? . 



Modified segments.— 6. The eighth tergite is produced into a rounded lobe 

 below the stigma, the dorsal margin of this widened portion being horizontal and 

 the distal margin strongly receding. There are six or seven bristles on this portion 

 of the segment, two of them being placed below the apes of the lobe. The eighth 

 sternite (text-fig. 1, VIIL st.) consists of a proximal vertical portion and a narrow 

 horizontal distal portion. The latter is moderately curved, and bears a ventral row 

 of five or six long bristles and some short ones. The process P of the clasper is 

 very narrow and long, gradually narrowing. The movable " finger " F is widest 

 proximally, being here produced downwards into a tooth-like prominence. From 

 this tooth to the apex the " finger " gradually narrows, not being widened before 

 the tip as is the case in pectiniceps. Proximally to the apex there are two long 

 bristles. The horizontal arm of the ninth sternite is narrow, especially in the 

 centre. It is rounded-widened ventrally in the distal half, and bears here a ventral 

 row of bristles ; above this row there is an irregular lateral row which extends to 

 the tip of the segment, one of the apical bristles being stout. 



?. The seventh abdominal sternite (text-fig. 2, VII. st.) has on each side a 

 row of seven or eight bristles and one or two smaller bristles in front of the row; 

 the segment is ventrally deeply sinuate, the remaining lateral portion forming a 

 broad, rounded lobe, of which the upper margin is strongly slanting. The eighth 

 sternite bears two long bristles below the stigma and about twelve farther down on 

 the sides and at the margin. The stylet is but .slightly narrowed at the apex, and 

 bears one long and two shorter bristles. The head of the receptaculum seminis is 

 more regularly elliptical than \n pectiniceps, and the tail somewhat shorter. 



A series of both sexes from Djarkent, Semiretschenskoi, East Turkestan, 

 March — April 1913, off Cricetulus fulms and Apodemus tscherga. 



2. Leptopsylla pectiniceps Wagn. (1893) (text-fig. 3) 

 We take the opportunity of figuring the seventh abdominal sternite of the 

 female of pectiniceps. The characteristic feature of this sternite has not been 



