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NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE, 



Vol. X. DECEMBER, 1903. No. 3. 



FURTHER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF 

 THE SIPHONAPTERA. 



By the HON. N. C. ROTHSCHILD, M.A., F.L.S. 



(Plates IX. X.). 



1. Ceratophyllus terribilis spec. nov. (PI. IX. fig. 1. 2. .3). 



Head. — The head (fig. 1. c?) is somewhat longer than it is broad, and bears a 

 row of short stout sjiiue-Iike hairs between the upper end of the anteunal groove 

 and the ventral corner of the frons. The frons is much more strongly curved in the 

 male than in ihe/emale. The hinder portion of the head is hairy above. It bears 

 also numerous short hairs at the sides above the antennal groove. A hair above the 

 hinder ventral corner, another iu the middle above the antennal groove, and four 

 others situated in front of the eye are long and stout. The palpus is considerably 

 shorter than the rostrum. 



Thorax. — Tlie pronotal comb (fig. 1) consists of twenty-two teeth. The 

 mesonotuni is densely clothed with numerous short hairs, in addition to tlie ordinary 

 row of bristles. The epimerum of the uietathora.x bears one bristle on its hinder 

 edge, and a row of three or four more situated immediately below the stigma. In 

 addition to these the epimerum bears a few scattered hairs on the proximal portion 

 of its surface. 



Abdomen. — The first three abdominal tergites bear a small spine on each side. 

 The seventh tergite has on each side three apical bristles, two long and one short, 

 the latter being the most ventral of the three. 



The abdominal sternites 2 to 7 have three hairs on each side. 



Legs. — The anterior femur bears numerous fine hairs scattered over its outer 

 surface. The foretibia is short, and ventrally and dorsally rounded (in optical 

 section), the bristles on the dorsal edge being very numerous, but not long. The 

 first segment of the tarsus is about half as long as the tibia, with seven pairs of long 

 thin bristles on its dorsal edge. 



The midtibia bears ten [lairs of long thin bristles on its dorsal edge, and two 

 subdorsal rows of hairs on the outer surface and a number of ventral bristles as well. 

 The first segment of the midtarsus is half as long as the tibia and very densely 

 covered with hairs. 



The jiosterior tiida bears on its outer side two subdorsal series of hairs and 

 iiuiuerous ventral bristles ; on the inner side onlj' one row of hairs is ])resi'nf. 

 The tibia, moreover, bears thirteen or fourteen \mm of bristles on the dorsal edge. 

 The first segment of the hindtarsus is about tlu'ee-(iuarters tlie length of the tibia, 



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