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SIPHONAPTERA. | 147 
THE HouskE FLEA. 
(Pulex irritans Linn.) 
This, perhaps the best known species of flea, was described by Lin- 
neus in 1746. It is distributed widely over the globe, and often 
becomes a serious pest in houses, sometimes even in spite of the most 
careful attention and cleanliness. 
It is easily distinguished from the common flea affecting dogs and 
eats, and which is almost as frequent an inhabitant of houses, by the 
fact that there are no combs of spines upon the borders of the head or 
pronotum. From the much less common species just mentioned which 
occurs on the opossum, and which is most nearly allied to it, it is to 
be separated by the greater length of the mandibles and hypopharynx, 
which reach more than halfway the length of the anterior coxe, by the 
the single row of bristles on each abdomi- 
nal segment, the large male claspers, and 
the dark-reddish or piceous color. 
The habits and life history of this spe- 
cies have long been known and frequently 
described. They occur particularly in 
houses, secreting themselves in bedding 
and clothing, and, especially at night, 
make their attacks on their human vic- 
tims for the purpose of drawing blood. 
Their eggs are deposited in out-of-the- 
way places, in the dust or lint under car- vet peer Pall pine ne gee ea 
pets, and the larve are said to feed upon —_¢embs (original). 
the particles of organic matter which may be found in such localities. 
Railliet states that each female deposits 8 to 12 eggs, which are 
whitish and ovoid and 0.7 mm. long by 0.4 mm. thick; further, that in 
summer the larve issue in four to six days, become pupe eleven days 
later, and after about twelve days in this stage become adult; the 
time for development from egg to adult being, therefore, about four 
weeks, while in winter, in a warmed room, it occupies about six weeks. 
While no amount of personal cleanliness will protect an individual 
from their attacks in a building which is infested by them, careful 
attention to the removal of all dust and refuse which may harbor the 
larve will assist in keeping them in check. The use of pyrethrum is 
very effectual in destroying them, and may be dusted in places which 
harbor them. (See also remarks under “The Dog and Cat Flea.”) 
t 
THE BriRD FLEA. 
(Pulex avium Tasch.) 
According to Taschenberg, the common fleas, affecting a great variety 
of birds, including the domestic fowls, are all representatives of a 
single species, and although some of the forms were described as early 
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