1908.] 231 



A NEW BRITISH FLEA. 



BY THE HON. N. CHARLES ROTHSCHILD, M.A., F.L S. 



PLATE II. 



OuNiTnopsTLLA, gen. nov. 



Frons strongly angulate in <J , more evenly rounded in ?, with a distinct 

 tubercle in hotli sexes. Eye fully developed. No genal comb. Antennal groove 

 closed. A row of short, stout bristles above the same. Club of antenna segmented 

 all round, almost globular in ? , one-third longer than broad and sub-truncate at 

 the apex in $ . Second segment of maxillary palpus half as long again as first. 

 Dentition of mandibles minute. Labial palpus consisting of four segments; end 

 segment obliquely truncate, bearing three apical bristles. 



Protliorax without comb. Ventral edge of pleura of mesothorax oblique, the 

 large stigma not being entirely covered. 



Apical bristles of the seventh abdominal tergite situated at the edge of the 

 segment, which is not distinctly sinuate. 



Hind coxa with a comb or patch of spines on the inside. 



First midtarsal segment as long as the second or a very little shorter. Fifth 

 segment of all tarsi with four lateral bristles. 



Eighth abdominal sternite of $ ventrally produced into a hairy lobe. Clasper 

 with three processes, two being broad and irregularly rounded, the third finger- 

 shaped with the tip curved upwards. The right and left halves of the ninth 

 sternite connected with each other at the elbow of the segment. Tenth sternite of 

 3 with a movable stylet-like process on each side. 



Type : O. Icetitice, spec. nov. 



The genus comes nearest to Archceopsylla, Dampf (1908, type : 

 erinacei), and Spilopsyllus, Baker (1905, type: leporis). Distinguished 

 especially by the entire absence of combs from the head and thorax, 

 the much finer dentition of the mandibles and the longer and much 

 more distinctly segmented club of the antenna. 



Ornititopsylla IjMtiiim, spec. nov. 

 (Figures 1 and 2). 



Head. — The frons bears a row of three bristles, the uppermost being placed in 

 front of the eye. The rostrum is as long as the maxillary palpus, reaching to the 

 apical fifth of the fore coxa. The proportional lengths of the segments of the 

 maxillary palpus are 15, 21, 12, 16, the lengths of the segments varying but. little. 



Thorax.— The pronotum is dorsally as long as the first and second segments of 

 the maxillary palpus together. It bears a row of about sixteen long bristles on the 

 two sides together. The meso- and metanota have each also one row of long 

 bristles, there being, however, short additional hairs on the back. The pleura of 

 the mesonotum bears one or two bristles at or near the meral suture, and usually 

 two more above the stigma, there being occasionally one or two additional bristles 

 above the stigma, while there are apparently never any bristles near the dorsal edge 



