I. "3^ Fl.KAS, FLUKES AND CUCKOOS 



to any other genus —which reflects the bcHef that the grebes and divers 

 themselves are not closely related to each other, nor to any other living 

 order of birds. This wholly supports the evidence obtained from a study 

 of their tapeworms (see p. 193). 



COLUMBIFORMES 

 Genera of Mallophaga recorded in Britain : Colpocephalum, 

 Hohorstiella (Amblycera); Campanuloles, Coluceras, Colu?nbicola 



(Ischnocera). 



The British pigeons may harbour species of hce belonging to five 

 genera, and one of these (Campanulotes) illustrates the correlation between 

 louse size and the size of the host (further discussed below). Thus the 

 three species of this genus found on the wood-pigeon, the stock-dove and 

 the rock-dove are very similar, but that from the wood-pigeon is 

 noticeably larger than those from the other two. Further, if a large 

 number of specimens from the two latter hosts are measured, those from 

 the rock-dove are found, on the average, to be smaller. The lice may, 

 therefore, reflect some hitherto unrecorded differences in the size of 

 the host. 



Charadriiformes 



Genera of Mallophaga recorded in Britain : Actornithophilus , 



Austromenopon (Amblycera); Rhynonirmus, Lunaceps, Carduiceps, 



Cummingsiella, Quadraceps, Saemundssonia (Ischnocera). 



The members of this order, which contains the waders, gulls and 

 auks, may be parasitised by species of any of eight genera of lice. The 

 most interesting louse found on the waders is the quill-louse {Actorni- 

 thophilus patellatus, Plate lb) of the curlew. The information about this 

 species is still incomplete, but from records of curlews examined in this 

 country it is known that 44 per cent, have specimens of the quill-louse 

 on their bodies, and of this 44 per cent., over half have holes in the 

 shafts of the wing feathers. There is a remarkable symmetry in the 

 position of the holes, and it is usual for the same quills to be attacked in 

 both wings. If the seventh to the eleventh primaries are entered in the 

 right wing, the seventh to the eleventh will also be entered in the left. 

 The primaries on each side are also attacked in the same order : if the 

 sixth to the ninth on the right wing have completed holes, with the 

 beginning of a hole on the tenth, this will often be repeated in the 



