Vol. ae 
Hes Recent Literature. 8 Z 
can Birds and Mammals.'— A list of the known North American species 
of the order Mallophaga is not only here given, with references to the 
place of: original description, and the name of the host, but thereis also 
a separate list of the hosts, with the name of the species of parasite infest- 
ing each host species. The North American species thus far recorded 
number 282 species, representing 18 out of the 21 recognized genera of 
the order. Of these 264 species infest birds, and 18 are known only from 
mammals. Mallophagous parasites have been recorded from 257 species 
of North American birds, belonging to 167 genera. As 107 species of 
North American Mallophaga were described from European hosts, the 
question of their distribution is one of special interest,® as in many cases 
the same parasite is found on hosts that are not only not congeneric, 
but which do not occur on the same continent. Often the same species 
occurs on several different hosts, while not unfrequently three or more 
species of Mallophaga occur on the same host species, sometimes as 
many as eight or ten, representing as many as five genera. In some 
instances the same parasite has been recorded from birds differing greatly 
in habits, and belonging even to different orders. As the subject is of 
interest to both ornithologists and entomologists, it seems desirable to 
quote in this connection from a recent letter from Prof. Kellogg, to the 
present writer, as follows: ‘‘ As I can only get specimens of Mallophaga 
from bird collectors — that is, I have not yet come to the point where I 
can shoot birds simply for the sake of collecting their parasites — you 
see what assistance the readers of ‘The Auk’ can be to me.” He also 
states that he has received in this way ‘‘some specimens, and has been 
promised others.” 
In discussing elsewhere (Psyche, 7/7. c.) this problem in distribution, 
Prof. Kellogg has thus formulated his conclusions : “....On this fact I 
base my belief that the occurrence of a parasite species common to sey- 
eral hosts under circumstances which do not admit of the migration of 
the parasites from bird to bird is due to the persistence of the parasite 
species unchanged from the common ancestor of the two or more now 
distinct but closely allied bird species. With the spreading of the ances- 
tral species, geographical races have arisen within the limits of the 
species which have with time and with isolation, caused by newly appear- 
ing geographical barriers due to geologic or climatic changes, come to 
be distinct species — species often distinguished only by superficial dif- 
ferences in color and markings of plumage, etc. The parasites have 
1A List of the Biting Lice (Mallophaga) taken from Birds and Mammals 
of North America. By Vernon L._Kellogg, M. S., Professor of Entomology, 
Leland Stanford Junior University. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. Vol. XXII., No. 
1183, 1899, pp. 39-100. 
2See Kellogg (V.L.),‘A Problem in Distribution,’ Psyche, VII, Aug., 1898, 
PP- 243-247: 
