122 
PSYCHE 
[December 
THE MALLOPIIAGAX PARASITES OF THE KEA. 
BY VERNON L. KELLOGG, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, CAL. 
The notorious sheep-destroying parrot of New Zealand, the Kea {Nestor noi- 
ablis Gould), has not hitherto been examined to see what, if any, jiarasites help to 
make life troublesome for it as itself works misery for the New Zealand flocks. 
The Kea feeds on carrion mostly, but has also the deplorable habit of alighting on a 
sheeji’s back and tearing away the flesh until it gets at the kidney fat, which it eats 
with depraved relish. It then flies away, leaving its unfortunate victim to suffer 
until death mercifully comes to it. 
Specimens of Alallophaga sent me liy Air. D. L. Van Dine, Entomologist of the 
U. S. Experiment Station at Honolulu, obtained by him from Air. Brigham, Director 
of the Bishop Aluseum, show that Kea has some troubles of its own. In a vial of 
Alallophaga collected from the Kea in Nei^’ Zealand there are three species of these 
parasites representing the genera Lipcurus, Colpocephahnn and Menopon. All of 
these can be referred to already described species but curiously enough only one of 
them is a species typical of jiarrots, the other two being recorded only from true 
raptorial birds. 
Lipeurus circuvifasciatus Piaget, var. kea Kellogg. Alales and females from 
the Kea, Nestor notabilis (New Zealand). Differs from the species type in the much 
larger size and the absence of even the slightest angular projection on 3rd segment 
of the male, and the presence of a distinct, although small, lateral projection on the 
4th segment. Alale, length, 2.30 mm., width .6 mm., female length 3 mm., width 
.61 mm. 
Colpoceplialum setosum Piaget. Several females from the Kea, Nestor notabilis 
(New Zealand). Differs markedly from any Colpoceplialum so far described from 
parrots and is undoubtedly identical with Piaget’s C. setosum, described from the 
vulture, Cathartes gryphus (Zool. Garden of Rotterdam). 
Menopon fulvofasciatuni Piaget var. kea Kellogg. Three adult males and 
several young from a Kea, Nestor notabilis (New Zealand). Although differing in 
some details and a little larger than the type these specimens can probably be referred 
to Piagets’ Ji. fulvofasciatum described from Buteo vulgaris. The Kea specimens 
are certainly unlike any Alenopon previously recorded from the parrots. The dif- 
ferences which distinguish the Kea specimens from typical fulvofasciatum are the 
additional spines in lateral angles of prothorax, a difference in the ninth abdominal 
