Misce llaneous. 271 



the mountains, and it is to be observed in the greatest abundance 

 during severe frosts. This flea is parasitic upon horses, sheep, 

 camels, and horned cattle, in which it produces great debilitation of 

 the organisms, and in the young animals even death. The Kirgise 

 name it Alal-urt, i. e. motley worm or motley insect, for originally 

 the Aldkurt is nearly black in colour, but when distended it be- 

 comes white with variegated bands. 



The examination of this parasite convinced me that it belongs to 

 the family Sarcopsyllidye, forming a new genus of that family. In 

 consideration of the worm-like form of the body of a distended 

 parasite I propose to name it VermipsyUa, and for a specific name 

 I let its local denomination, Alal-urt, stand. All the specimens of 

 VermipsyUa Aldkurt that I have received prove to be females, from 

 which we may conclude that the males do not attach themselves to 

 the bodies of the cattle and become distended. Even the mauner of 

 the distention exactly resembles that of Rhynchopsylla pulex — that 

 is to say the chitinous rings of the abdomen separate from each 

 other, during which they retain their proper distribution, but no 

 longer touch one another, while at the same time the suhchitinous 

 membrane situated beneath the chitinous scales of the abdomen 

 becomes extended. 



I now pass to a brief description of this form. The length of the 

 strongly distended female attains (3 millim. The colour of the head 

 and thorax and of the abdominal rings is dark brown ; the sub- 

 chitinous membrane is milk-white. The head is of considerable 

 size ; it is rounded off on the dorsal surface, and slopes strongly 

 from behind forward. The antennal pit is situated nearly in the 

 middle of the head, and the eyes, which are pretty large, are situated 

 in the anterior half of the head near its inferior margin (compare 

 Rhynchopsylla). The maxillae have the form of triangular lancet- 

 like plates, pointed in front, but the apex is not bent backwards, 

 as is the case in Rhynchopsylla. 



The formula of the maxillary palpi is 3 : 1 : 2 : 4. In the organ- 

 ization of the labium VermipsyUa deviates from both the families 

 of Aphaniptera. The palpiform parts of the labium are divided 

 into false joints of uncertain number, varying between eleven and 

 fourteen. Each false joint bears at its anterior extremity a pair 

 of minute hairs, of which the outer one is much more developed. 

 The basal joint, which is much longer, bears on each side a pair of 

 equally developed hairs ; and the terminal joint, which is also 

 longer, bears two tufts of short blunt seta?. The upper edge of the 

 tongue is quite smooth. The mandibles have at the extremity only 

 two claw-like teeth, which are directed outwards. The mandibles, 

 labium, and tongue are of equal length, and more than twice as 

 long as the maxillary palpi. The second joint of the antennse has 

 a cup-like form, and bears at its outer margin (in the position of 

 rest) a row of very long hairs which entirely cover the third joint. 

 This latter has no emargi nations, but it has some folds. The ante- 

 rior margin of the antennal pit is thickened, but the row of hairs 



