23 



brood as a whole would, after feeding on such flowers as could be found 

 at that time, fly to the nearest woods and there find protection under 

 the leaves and other debris till the following spring, and the experience of 

 the past seasons bears out this theory. One of the strawberry beds at 

 Falls Church adjoins a bit of woodland, and it was along the border of 

 these woods that the insects began their attack last year, other portions 

 of the field, on higher ground, exposed to the Avind being practically 

 exempt from infestation. 



It should be borne in mind that the few insects that might hibernate 

 in the beds, if these are neglected until they become overrun with 

 grass and weeds, or contrive to efi'ect an entrance under the covering, 

 can be killed by a few dustings with pyrethrum. 



Finally, the fruit-grower should not. trust entirely to stamiuate varie- 

 ties. It will be found far better, in districts where this insect is known 

 to be injurious, to grow pistillates as is now customary, and the spray 

 need only be applied to the staminates used in fertilization, provided 

 the nonfertilizing plants are perfect pistillates and hence bear no pollen. 



OCCURRENCE OF THE HEN FLEA (SARCOPSYLLA GALLINACEA 

 WESTW.) IN FLORIDA. 



By A. 8. Packaiu). Providence, li. I. 



At the meeting of the Entomological Society of Washington, held 

 November 12, 1886 [see Proc, vol. i, j). 59), a letter was read from 

 Judge Lawrence 0. Johnson relative to the damage done by a species 

 of flea to young chickens at Gainesville, Fla. At the meeting held 

 March 7, 1889, another com- 



munication from Judge John- 

 son was read, in which he 

 gave, with some detail, the 

 habits of the insect (/oc. c<7. 

 pp. 203-205). 



Wishing to further examine 

 this case. Prof. Riley kindly 

 sent me a number of the males 

 and females from the U. S. 

 National Museum. These I 

 identified as Sarcopsylla gal- 

 linacea Westw., and in 1889, 

 in the Museum at Leyden, I was kindly shown by Dr. C. Ritzema Bos 

 specimens of this species from Ceylon, which seemed on a superficial 

 examination to be the same as the Floridian example. The insect was 

 first described by the late Prof. Westwood in an article in the Entomolo- 

 gist's Monthly Magazine (vol. XI, 1874-'75, p. 24G), entitled " Description 



Fig. 8. Sarcopaylla galUiiacea: mule— enlarged ; ant, 

 anteiiiiPE; m, palpi— more enlarged. (From drawings 

 by Packard.) 



