vi] CHIGOES AND THEIR ALLIES 75 



different names: chigoe, chigue, chego, chigger, chique, 

 jigger, pico, sico, migua, nigua, ton, and tschike are 

 synonymous. Catesby in his Natural History of 

 Carolina (1743) gives a figure of the insect, which is 

 easily recognisable. Linnaeus, in 1758, described the 

 chigoe as Pulex penetrans, and apparently did not 

 know much of its appearance beyond what he learnt 

 from Catesby's picture. This species and the human 

 flea were the only two which the great Swedish 

 naturalist distinguished by a name; though, under 

 the title Pulex irritans, he includes a number of 

 different species such as the fleas from the dog, cat, 

 rabbit and fowl. The chigoe remained the only 

 member of the family known to scientific entomolo- 

 gists until the year 1860. An allied insect was then 

 found on a South American parrot. A third member 

 of the family was soon after discovered, and is note- 

 worthy because it was the first species recorded from 

 the Old World. It is now known to infest the 

 domestic fowl in all warm countries where these 

 birds have been introduced by man. A fourth species 

 was collected from a South American bat. Up to the 

 present time some fourteen different species (belong- 

 ing to three very distinct genera) have been described, 

 and there cannot be the slightest doubt that, when 

 collectors in hot countries turn their attention to the 

 matter, a great many other forms of this interesting 

 family of fleas will be found. 



