ANOPLVRORUM BRITANNIA. 205 



MANDIBLES short, strong, terminated by two teeth. 



MAXILLA obscure. 



LABRUM and LABIUM, with the margin free, slightly notched 

 in front. 



MAXILLARY PALPI long, exserted, filiform, four jointed. 



LABIAL PALPI very short, two jointed. 



ANTENNAE four jointed, inserted beneath the lateral margin 

 of the head, frequently inconspicuous from being con- 

 cealed in a fovea, somewhat pedunculate, the last joint 

 oval or sub-rotundate, forming a knot. 



EYES generally below the lateral margin of the head, fre- 

 quently obscure. 



THORAX of two or three segments. 



TARSI straight, formed for running, two jointed, the first 

 joint short, the second very long, the first generally and 

 occasionally the second furnished with a fleshy involute or 

 straight pulvillus ; ungues two, divaricate, slightly curved 

 towards the apex. 



The Liotheidae are easily distinguished from the Philop- 

 terdse, in whose society they live ; (both families being 

 found on several kinds of birds, as Hawks, Pigeons, Tur- 

 keys, Storks, and Poultry,) not only by the presence of max- 

 illary palpi, the number of joints in the antennae, and the 

 conformation of the tarsi, but also by the celerity with which 

 they run on the smoothest surfaces, while the latter walk 

 slower and with rather an ambling gait. The former also 

 creep overthe hands of the party who may be examining 

 a bird, and are difficult to get rid of, while the Philopteridae 

 never do. I suspect this genus, or at least some of the species, 

 occasionally feed upon the blood of the bird as well as the 

 feathers, as I have observed the intestine in some instances 

 filled with a red fluid, as well as minute particles of feathers. 



