15. CORRODENTIA. 



4. Mallophaga 



by 



VERNON L. KELLOGG. 



With 1 plate. 



A collection of Mallophaga (biting lice of birds and mammals) taken from East 

 African hosts was seilt me in March, 1907, by Dr. Yngve Sjöstedt. These speei- 

 mens are part of the zoological collections made by bis expedition to the region 

 of Älts. Kilimandjaro and Äleru, and constitute the first collection of Mallophaga 

 niade in this region. Twentyfour species of bird hosts and two species of mamnial 

 hosts are represented in the collection, which includes altogether 34 species of Mallo- 

 phaga of which 13 are described herewith as new species. The most interesting forms 

 in the collection are Trichodectes colobi n. sp., from Colobus caudatns, the first Mallo- 

 phagan parasite to be recorded from a monkey, and Colpocephalum sjccstedti n. sp. 

 from Corvus scapulatus, an aberrant Colpocephalum of the type of Carriker's Col- 

 pocephalum extraneum, from a Costa Rican night-jar. The finding of these two simi- 

 larly aberrant parasitic species on such widely distinct host and from such widely 

 separated regions is of curious interest. For the two species a new genus should 

 probably be established, but as this would only be the beginning in a much needed 

 revision of one of the largest and most overloaded of Mallophagan genera which I 

 cannot undertake at present, I simply follow Carriker in assigning the stränge new 

 type to Colpocephahim. 



Until more hosts from this East African region are investigated and the number 

 of Mallophagan species frona this region largely augmented by assiduous collection, 

 it is not worth while to attempt any general remarks concerning the host or geogra- 

 phic relationships of the East African Mallophaga. Nor is it hardly worth while to 

 formulate synoptic tables of the few species so far known. From the decriptions 

 and illustrations, coupled with the accurate host determinations (determ. Sjöstedt), 

 students who may come into possession of Mallophaga from this region should have 

 no difficulty in knowing what species have been already found and recorded. A 

 complete list, with descriptions of all tlie new fornis of the species in the collection, 

 foUows; — 



