ANOPLURORUM BRITANNLE. 117 



7. NIRMUS UNCINOSUS. (Louse of the Hooded Crow.) 



Plate V. Fig. 1. 



Pale yellow-white ; head subcordate ; lateral margin of 

 the abdomen with pitchy uncinate transverse spots. 



Nirmus uncinosus. Nitzsch. Germ. Mag. iii. p. 291. Steph. Cat. pt. ii. p. 

 331. Burmeister Handbuch ii. pt. ii. p. 430. sp. 23. 



Head and thorax pale yellow, the former subcordate, 

 much wider in the male, lateral margin deeply sinuated 

 before the eyes, base concave, a small pitchy spot above the 

 eye, a broad oblique fascia before the antennae, and two on 

 the anterior margin of the clypeus, a depressed semicircular 

 line from the eyes to the occiput; trabeculae short and 

 acute ; antennae thick, pale fulvous, the third and fourth 

 joints with a fuscous band ; eyes pale and flat ; pro thorax 

 small, transverse ; metathorax large, transverse, base rotun- 

 date, lateral margin oblique ; abdomen nearly orbicular in 

 the male, oblong oval in the female, the first seven seg- 

 ments with a transverse pitchy-black hook-shaped spot on 

 each lateral margin underside, with the central portion of 

 each segment deep brown; legs strong; anterior femora en- 

 larged, extremity of tibiae with a fuscous band. Length 



i*t> 



The only specimens of this species I possess, were for- 

 warded by P. J. Selby, Esq. from the Hooded Crow (Cor- 

 vus cornix). The great dissimilarity of form in the two 

 sexes is greater here than in any other species I know, for 

 while the female has all the appearance of a Nirmus, from 

 its oblong body, the male resembles a Docophorus, from its 

 great breadth of abdomen, as well as head. The peculiar 

 hook-like markings on the lateral margin of the abdomen 

 readily distinguishes this from all the other species of the 

 sub- genus. 



