ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY — ENTOMOLOGY. 563 



be kept alive on a human host for a {•onsidt'iabU' time, one siiecinien being kept 

 alive as long as 5 months. . . . Induced parasitism of rodent fleas on man 

 seems to be influenced by the length of mouth parts in the different siiecies. 

 One specimen of C. acutus, the species with the longest rostrum, fed for a 

 period of nearly one hour at one insertion of the mouth. It is indicated that 

 starvation of infected fleas, when these insects are transported in clothing, 

 may not eliminate tlie danger of transmission of plague." 



General observations on the bionomics of the rodent and human fleas, 

 M. B. MiTZMAiN (Pub. Health and Mar. Hosp. Scrr. V. .s'., Vuh. ffralfh Bui. 38, 

 pp. S'l). — Much of the data hei'e presented are included in the account above 

 noted. 



A note on squirrel fleas as plague carriers, G. W. McCoy (Pub. Health and 

 Mar. Hosp. Serv. U. S., Put). Health Rpts., 25 (1910), No. 15, p. //6.5).— In the 

 experiments reported Ceratophylluft acutus, the common squirrel flea of Cali- 

 fornia, transmitted the plague from the ground squirrel (Citellus beecheyi) to 

 guinea pigs and from squirrel to squirrel. 



Fleas as plag'ue carriers between rats and ground squirrels, G. W. McCoy 

 (Pub. Health and Mar. Hosp. Serr. U. S., Pub. Health Rpts., 25 (1910), No. 20, 

 pp. 659-696). — In this paper experiments are reported which show that Cerato- 

 phyllus acutus can transmit bubonic plague from the ground squirrel (Citellus 

 beecheyi) to white rats, and that C. fasciatus, the common rat flea of Cali- 

 fornia, can transmit the disease from white rats to ground squirrels. 



Plague infection in a brush-rat (Neotoma fuscipes), G. W. McCoy (Jour. 

 Infect. Diseases, 7 (1910), No. S, pp. 368-373). — An account of the occurrence 

 of plague in a wood rat in Alameda County, Cal., as previously note^l from 

 another source (E. S. R., 22, p. 785). The gross lesions, inoculation experiments 

 on guinea pigs, and the results of injections to determine the protective power 

 of antipest serum are described. 



The susceptibility to plague of the prairie dog, the desert wood rat, and 

 the rock squirrel, G. W. McCoy and F. C. Smith (Jour. Infect. Diseases, 7 

 (1910), No. 3, pp. 37.'/-377)).— "The results of the work may be summarized as 

 follows: The rock squirrels are quite readily infected, probably being equally 

 as susceptible as the ground squirrel (Citellus beecheyi). As but one prairie 

 dog and one desert wood rat were available, it would be unsafe to go further 

 than to assert that the specimens tested exhibited no evidence of immunity to 

 plague; on the other hand, judging by this one experiment they appear to be 

 quite susceptible to the infection." 



A parasitic and a predatory enemy of the flea, M. B. Mitzmain (Pub. Health 

 and Mar. Hosp. Serv. U. S.. Pub. Health Rpts., 25 (1910), No. 13, pp. 393-397).— 

 Notes are given on the occurrence and habits of a new tyroglyphid mite, belong- 

 ing to the genus Histiostoma, to which Banks has given the manuscript name 

 H. tarsalis. This mite has been observed by the author on adult fleas (Cerato- 

 phyllus acutus, C. fasciatus, and La-niopsylla cheopis) collected in Solano 

 County, Cal. 



The fleas when placed on rats in cages rapidly increased in numbers. Obser- 

 vations indicate that fleas slightly infested live as long, under the same condi- 

 tions, as fleas free of mites. Although he has taken adult mites of this species 

 from the fleas, the author is not prepared to state that it is a true parasite, 

 since he has never seen it in the act of feeding. 



A beetle (Staphylinus sp.) combed with fleas from the hair of live squirrels, 

 trapped in San Mateo Comity, Cal., has been found to destroy scpiirrel and rat 

 fleas. Five of these beetles were observed to render helpless 1)7 adult fleas in a 

 period of less than 5 minutes. 



