NO. I3(;i. REVISION OF AMKRK'AN SII'IlONAl'TERA-IiAKKn. 375 



XESTOPSYLLA GALLINACEA (Westwood) Baker. 



This species wiis first descrilxMl fi-oni Ceylon. I>ut the coimnon hen 

 lle:i of our Southern Stiites, which was undouhtedly introduced. ui)peiirs 

 to ))e the same thino-. It is a conuuon pest from Florida to Texa.s. 

 It was also found in hirge num])ers on horses at Oranoebu !•<;•. Soutli 

 Cai'olina. Perhaps a near-by hen roost would explain this hitter 

 occurrence. The collection does not contain specimens from outside 

 tlie Southern States. 



Judoe LaAvrence C. Johnson presents a very full and interesting 

 account of the habits of this insect." He says it affects not onl}' hens, 

 but turke^^s, cats, dog-s, cattle, hoi'ses, and children. He also gives 

 the tirst hicid account of the exact manner in which encystment takes 

 place. This matter was formerly dismissed witli the statement that 

 the insect '' ])urrow^ed into" or " peneti'ated" the skin. Judge John- 

 son savs that the great irritation i)rodnced by the female fastt^iing 

 itself at one spot tinall}" produces a surrounding welt or tumefaction 

 which closes over it, though the inclosure is appareutl}' never wholly 

 complete. 



Family HECTOPSYLLID^, new family. 



The genus Hectopsylla is here separated as constituting a group 

 equivalent in value to the other families. In some respects it is the 

 most remarkably distinct group of the order. 



Genus HECTOPSYLLA Frauenfeld. 



1860. Hcctopsi/lla Frauenfeld, Artzungab. d. k. Acad. d. Wiss. Wieti, Xli, p. 



462. 

 1880. Rlii/itdiojjxyUa Haller, Archiv. f. Naturge8i-h. Jalirg., XLA'I, p. 72, pi. iv. 

 1880. Rliynchopsijlla Tasciienberg, Die Fli'ihe, p. 5(5. 

 1895. Hectopsri/Ua Baker, Canad. Ent., XXVII, ]>. 21. 



If, as Taschenberg indicates, there can be no question as to the 

 identity of Khynchopsylla and Hectopsylla, then there can also be no 

 question as to which name we must use. 



HECTOPSYLLA PSITTACI Frauenfeld. 



This remarkable insect was tirst (lescril)ed from Ceylon as oct-urring 

 on a parrot {Psltfaciix sp.). Later it was also found on an alcoholic 

 specimen of a NycfliKninis. One of the two occunvmu^s was prol)abIy 

 accidental, but which, remains to be determined. Kxcejjt for the 

 reports of Frauenfeld and of llaller. it has reniainiMl unknown, though 

 it may not be infrequent on its proper host. 



« Proc-. V.ni. Soc. AVasli., I, p. 59. 

 Proc. N. M. vol. xxvii— 03 25 



