SIPHONAPTERA. 153 
Pulex inaequalis Baker, described from cottontail and jack rabbits 
near the Grand Canyon, Arizona, is thought by Baker to be the North 
American representative of goniocephalus. It is distinguished from 
gigas by having the head obtusely angulated in front, the head spines 
5 or 6in number and pronotal spines 16. Length of the male, 1.5 mm. ; 
female, 1.75 to 2.25 mm. A variety called simpler is indicated as 
having 8 spines in the head comb, 14 in the pronotal comb, and being 
slightly larger in size, 2.5 mm. in length. This variety seems to be 
the common form on Lepus sylvaticus in Lowa. 
Pulex goniocephalus has sharply angulated forehead and pronotal 
comb of 14 spines. It has a length of 2 mm. 
THE MOLE FLEA. 
(Typhlopsylla assimilis Tasch. ) 
This species, described by Taschenberg from the European mole in 
1880, appears to be identical with the species found on our common 
moles Scalops aquaticus and argentatus. 
Fia. 85.—Typhlopsylla assimilis: a and b, head and met segment of female; c, male—enlarged 
original). 
The eye is very rudimentary, scarcely visible under the microscope, 
the head with a comb of 3 spines on the lower border and the pronotum 
with acomb of 7 to 9 spines on each side. ‘Male claspers boot-shaped, 
the sole turned up.” Color rather dark brown, more intense along the 
dorsum. Length 2.5 mm. 
It is recorded from Sorex vulgaris, Talpa europea, Mus sylvaticus, and 
Arvicola arvalis by Taschenberg, and Baker records it from the mole, 
Lincoln, Nebr., and the “common garden mole,’ Lansing, Mich. I 
have taken it repeatedly from the prairie mole (Scalops argentatus) at 
Ames, lowa, and have specimens from Prof. A. W. Bitting from Scaleps 
aquaticus, Lafayette, Ind. 
From these records it would appear to be quite closely confined to 
the mole as its particular host, and the rudimentary nature of its eyes 
might be looked upon as a parallel adaptation with that of its host. 
