24 



of a new Piilicideous Insect from Ceylon." To this article I have not 

 had access. 



My original identification was made from the figure and description 

 by Dr. O. Taschenberg in his useful monographic m ork " Die Fliihe," 

 which was based on type-example in Kitzema Bos's collection received 

 from Westwood. Westwood states that the creatures fastened to the 

 eyelids and on the neck of the domestic hen at Colombo, Ceylon, whence 

 they were brought to England by Mr. Moseley, of the Challenger Expe- 

 dition. 



To further insure the accuracy of the identification of the Floridian 

 examples with the Asiatic si^ecies, I sent one to Dr. Julius Wagner, of 

 St. Petersburg, who writes me as follows : "The flea sent is Sarcopsylla 

 gallinacea $■ , and quite similar to the examples of which I send you a 

 pair ( S and 9 )." 



These specimens were from a second locality in Asia, the slide being 

 labeled " Strix sp. Murgab, Suiran-Beir, 3, v, 1893." This locality we 

 suppose to be in Turkestan. It is noteworthy that the host is an 

 owl. It is possible that the wide zoographical distribution of this spe- 

 cies is due to the fact that it is carried about from one region to 

 another by birds. 



On comparing the Turkestan specimens with those from Florida I 

 am unable to see any difference; the proportions of the different parts 



of the body being the same, 

 the joints and armature of the 

 legs and tarsi not differing. 



I add camera sketches of the 

 two sexes. Fig. 8, male, with 

 the antennfp, and palpi enlarged j 

 Fig. 9, female, drawn to the 

 same scale. 



I may add that Dr. Julius 

 Wagner, who is giviug much 

 attention to the Siphonaptera, 

 is desirous of receiving sijeci- 

 mens of fleas from this country. 

 He recommends collecting them 

 in the spring or in the begin- 

 ning of summer. At that season one may find the larva? and pupjB in 

 the nests and holes of Mammalia, and the adult insects on the same 

 animals, especially on the young ones. Dr. Wagner's address is the 

 Zoological Laboratory of the Imperial University of St. Petersburg. 



Fig. 9. Sarcopsylla gallinacea: Female — enlarged. 

 (From drawings by Packard.) 



