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ON SOME NEW ACARINE PARASITES OF RATS. 



By Stanley Hirst. 



{Published by pennission of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 



Four imdescribed mites from rats are dealt with in the present note, one being a 

 new species of Laelaps (Haemolaelaps), which has a wide distribution, occurring 

 in Ceylon, India, Africa and South America ; the three others are larval forms of 

 Trombidiidae, and they are the first parasites of this kind to be collected in India ; 

 my best thanks are due to Dr. Nelson Annandale and Mr. F. H. Gravely for their 

 kindness in sending me these interesting Acari. I must also thank Mr. Engel Terzi 

 for his carefully prepared drawings of these species. 



Genus Laelaps, C. L. Koch. 

 Subgenus Haemolaelaps, Berlese. 



Laelaps nuttalli, sp. nov. (figs. 1, 2). 



9. Bodi/ fairly long oval, being considerably longer than wide. Dorsal surface 

 almost entirely covered by the scutum, but a narrow marginal strip of unprotected 



Fig. 1. Laelaps nuitalU, Hirst, sp. n , 5 ; ventral and dorsal aspects. 



integument is visible posteriorly in distended specimens. Hairs at hinder end of 

 body longer than those on the scutum. Scutum ornamented with a very fine sculp- 

 turing formed of numerous lines, nearly all of which are transverse in direction and 

 (C177) g2 



