75 



A NEW EGYPTIAN FLEA. 



By the Hon. N. Charles Rothschild, MA., F.L.S. 



(Plate IV.) 



Pulex cher sinus, sp. nov. 



Closely resembles P. nubicus, Pioths., Ent. Mo. Mag. (2), xiv. 

 p. 84, n. 2, t. 2, fig. 10, 16 (1903), but differing in the following 

 characters : — 



The hiud coxa bears posteriorly at the apex three bristles instead 

 of two, and on the inner surface a comb of four or five spines. All the 

 femora have two bristles ventrally near the apex. The tarsi are shorter 

 than in nubicus, the proportion of the segments being different. The 

 fourth segment is nearly as broad as it is long, being cup-shaped 

 (fig. 1). The fifth segment bears ventrally at the apex three short 

 stout bristles in all the tarsi (fig. 2)." The proportions of the mid- 

 tarsal segments are 7, 12, 6, 4, 10 in the new species, and 9, 13, 7, 4, 10|- 

 in P. nubicus, the proportions of the hind tarsus being 24, 17, 10, 6, 12 

 in the new species, and 27, 19, 10, 6, 12 in P. nubicus. It will be 

 noticed that the first and second hind tarsal segments are shorter in 

 chersinus than in nubicus, while the distal segments are the same in 

 length. 



Modified segments : The clasper bears two processes as in P. nubicus 

 (fig. 3), the lower one being distinctly broader than the upper. The 

 processes are of equal length, while m nubicus the lower one is much 

 shorter than the upper. The lower process bears one long and several 

 shorter bristles at and near the apex, the most proximal bristle of the 

 dorsal side being situated at the apical fifth, the corresponding bristle 

 being placed a little beyond the middle in P. nubicus. The ninth 

 sternite resembles that of nubicus, but is distally somewhat narrower. 



We have received one male, off Jacidns gordoni, from Khar- 

 toum, through the kindness of Dr. A. Balfour, of the Wellcome 

 Research Laboratory. 



NOTES ON SOME FORMS OF APLECTA NEBULOSA 



IN BRITAIN. 



(Plate V.) 



In the group of specimens of Aplecta nehulosa, arranged and 

 photographed by Mr. H. Main (Plate V.), the object has been to 

 show the extensive colour range of variation to which this species 

 is subject in Britain. 



The pale specimen (fig. 1), which is from Ireland, has the 

 ground colour almost pure white (owing to screen marks this is 

 slightly obscured in the figure). Fig. 2 represents a New Forest 



■■'■ These bristles have come out too black in the figure. 



h2 



