A SYNOPSIS OF AUSTRALIAN ACAKIXA — RAINBOW. ISl 



Creniis Glyciphagus, Herin;/. 



Glyciphagus DOMESTICUS, Be Liccr. 



Glyciphagus doniesticns, De Geer, Mem. Ins., vii., 1778, p. 89. 



Acarus domestic us, De Geer, lor. cit. 



Glyciphcuius doiuesticus, Oudm., Tidjs. Voor. Entom., xL, 1897, p. 

 251.' 



.' Ghicipluujus pnnKiruiii, Hering, Die Kratzmilben, 1835, p. 619. 



Hab. — Cosmopolitan ; Australia (introduced). This species is 

 sometimes found in cork, dust, tobacco, collections of herbaria, 

 meals (such as Hour), furniture. When it occurs in the latter it 

 may be present in thousands. I have seen furniture in a house 

 at Paddington, Sydney, where these Acarids were literally 

 swarming. They feed on the animal fats of horse-hair when the 

 latter has not been thoroughly cleaned. The species is also known 

 to infest all kinds of dried vegetable and animal matter which is 

 not too hard ; hay and fodder in stables, many vegetables and 

 dungs, dried insects and fruits, sugar, and condensed milk which 

 has been left exposed, (z. dumesticus is probably synonymous with 

 Hering's G. prunoruui, but the latter cannot be satisfactorily 

 determined from the original description and figure which is 

 lacking in certtiin important details. This Acarid is responsible 

 for what is known as "grocers' itch." G. do)iiesticus has also been 

 recorded from the European " Blue Tit:" Parus aerulens, Linn. 



(>bs. — Other species of this genus probably occur here, as in 

 other parts of the world, seeing that bulbs and tubers are infested 

 by them. 



Family ANALGESID^. 



The Analgesidye or " Bird Mites," is an extensive family 

 including about thirty-one genera and seven sub-genera. These 

 Acarids are found on birds all over the world, and their presence 

 is regarded as beneficial to a host, from the fact that tliey keep 

 the feathers and skin clean. Except the ticks few Acarids are 

 better known than tlie Analgesidaj. Birds being so sought after 

 by museums as well as private collectors, it is only natural that 

 these little animals should find their way into collections, and so 

 receive attention at the hands of systematists. A few species 

 liave been recorded from Australia and these are enumerated 

 below. The Analgesiclfe are more or less elongated animals with 

 soft and transversely wrinkled skin ; usually the cephalothorax 

 and abdomen are well-defined, but they are not endowed with 



