250 THE entomologist's record. 



A new British flea : Typhlopsylla spectabilis, sp. nov. 



By the Hon. N. C. ROTHSCHILD, B.A., F.Z.S., F.E.S. 



Typhlopsylla spectabilis, Rothschild. 



This distinct species is allied to Typhlopsylla onuscidi (Duges), 

 but differs from it in the following characters : The species is larger 

 and darker in colour. The head has three instead of two strongly 

 chitinised hairs at its anterior end. The genal spines are two instead 

 of four in number, and are larger than those of T. musculi. The 

 comb on the posterior edge of the prothorax consists of 28 teeth 

 instead of 22. The male has one long and two short hairs on each 

 side of the posterior edge of the 7th dorsal segment, while the 

 female has two long and three short ones in the same position. In 

 T. Tmcscnli the male has one long and two short hairs on each side of 

 the posterior edge of this segment. The female, however, has two 

 long and two short ones, the most lateral short hair of the female 

 r. spectabilis being absent in the female of this species. The number 

 of strongly chitinised spines on the posterior edges of the dorsal seg- 

 ments differs from the number of those in the same position in T. 

 musculi. Individual variation, however, appears to exist in both species 

 with regard to this character. I originally thought this species to be iden- 

 tical with Koleuati's Ctenopsyllus bidentatus, Hor. Soc. Ent. Boss., 

 ii. (1863), p. 38, fig. 9. That species, however, is said to have 

 eighteen teeth on the prothorax. The present species is parasitic on 

 the Bank Vole {Ihumdaeus glareolus). I secured five specimens of it 

 at North Berwick this September. 



:]P>RACTICAL HINTS. 



Field Work for October and November. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



1. — The eggs of Cirrhoedia xerampelina often hatch this month. 

 The young larvae feed only by night, on ash, though they will eat haw- 

 thorn and guelder rose. Sometimes they attain a fair size before they 

 hybernate, whilst others remain quite small ; occasionally the larvae do 

 not hatch until November or December. Then the buds of hawthorn 

 and guelder-rose will be found useful as a substitute for ash (Merrin). 



