( 479 



SOME NEW SIPHONAPTERA. 



(Plates XIIl. XIV.) 



By toe HON. N. C. EOTHSCHILD, M.A. 



1. Pulex roberti spec. iiov. (Pl.XIII. fig. 1. 2). 



THIS species is allied to P. m/slral/s Rothsch., but can be distiugaisUeJ by 

 the following characters: — 



Head. — The rostrum and the second segment of the maxillary palpus are longer, 

 the latter being more than twice the lengtli of the third segment. 



Thorax. — The sternum of the mesothorax bears two bristles instead of one. 



Abdomen. — The first tliree tergites liear two complete rows of bristles. The 

 anterior row becomes gradually reduced on the other tergites, especially in the c? . 



Legs. — All the femora bear on the outer side three bristles veutrally near the 

 apex, and one on the inner side. On the outer side of the hindfemur there are five 

 or six lateral bristles placed irregtrlarly on its apical third. Anteridrly to these 

 there is a row of three or four bristles, this row being separated from the three 

 subapical' ventral bristles liy a wide interspace. On tlie inner side tlie hindfemur 

 bears only one or two lateral bristles. The tibia have on the outer side very 

 numerous bristles, as is the case in Pidex bohlsi Wagn. On the inner side of the 

 hindtibia there are two or three bristles. The si.xth dorsal incision of the hindtibia 

 is rudimentary, however, one of the two bristles situated in this incision in other 

 Pulicidae being present. The fourth incision (which is homologous to the fifth of 

 other species) is not so deej) in the present species as it is in P. amtralis. The 

 tar.si, which in P. austra/is and P. clfojj/io/itis Rothsch. somewhat resemble the 

 tarsi of Malacopstjlla (= Megapsi/lla), are more normal in the present species. 

 The second segment of the foretarsns is nearly three times as long as it is broad, 

 lieing much longer than the first. The mid- and hindtarsi bear numerous hairs on 

 the ventral surface. The apical sjiines of the tarsi are stont, except on the fourth 

 segment. The longest apical s])ine of the first hindtarsal segment reaches to the 

 subapical spine of the second, and the corresponding spine of the latter segment 

 almost extends to the ajHcal sjiine of the third. The first hindtarsal segment is 

 two-thirds the length of the tibia. The fifth segment bears four lateral bristles 

 and a ventral mesial row of .about four hairs, besides a pair of apical ventral 

 spine-like bristles. The claw is smaller than in P. ausfralis and P. drojihontis. 

 The measurements of the mid- and hindtarsi are as follows : — 



Modified Segments. — The linger is longer and slenderer than in /-". aastralis. 

 The mannbriinn (PI. Xlll. fig, 1, :\i) is broader. The ninth sternite (ix. st.) is also 

 broader, and bears many more hairs. The eighth tergite of the ¥ (PI. XIIL fig. 2) 



