172 NOTES FROM THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



Family. PULICIDtE. 



Echidnophaga, gen. nov. 



Body globose, membranaceous, almost destitute of bristles, 

 except at the anus. 



Antennae capitate, four jointed. 



Head moderately large ; mandibles about half as long as the 

 entire insect, not very broad, finely serrate on the outer margins 

 at the apical half ; lingua elongate, very fine ; maxillae elongate, 

 triangular, with no appearance of an articulation at the apex ; 

 maxillary palpi four jointed, the first and second of about equal 

 length, the third slightly shorter, the fourth a little longer than 

 the first, acuminate at the apex ; labium elongate, narrow, slightly 

 constricted before the apex ; labial palpi three jointed, the first 

 short, the second considerably larger, the third longer than the 

 two preceding joints taken together, pointed at the extremity. 



Legs rather long ; the femora somewhat thickened ; tibiae armed 

 with rather large spines on the external margins ; tarsi five 

 jointed, claws simple ; anterior and intermediate tarsi with the 

 first three joints of nearly equal lengths, the fourth smaller, the 

 fifth longer than the two basal joints together; posterior tarsi 

 with the basal joint much larger than the following ones. 



Echidnophaga ambulans, sp. n. 



Broadly ovate, castaneous, shining, with indistinct green reflec- 

 tions. Antennae capitate, finely setose. Eyes rather prominent, 

 small, pale castaneous. Head moderately convex above, finely 

 and indistinctly crenulate in front. Thorax short. Abdomen 

 ovate, rather strongly convex above, somewhat truncate posteriorly; 

 the anal region armed with a few strong bristles. Legs pale 

 castaneous, tips of the femora and tibiae darker ; tibiae with two 

 feeble notches on the external margins. Length 2 mm. ; greatest 

 width 1^ mm. 



New South Wales. A parasite upon Echidna hystrix. 



This species has little in common with the Pulex echidna 

 described by Denny (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. XII., p. 315, 

 pi. 37, fig. 6, 1843), from the same host. 



