oe aa 
SUBORDER MALLOPHAGA. 203 
rather slender and decidedly flattened. Altogether this species seems 
to be almost as beautiful and as graceful in its movements as the bird 
which harbors it. Some of the specimens we have secured appear to 
contain blood, and while these parasites are not supposed to extract 
blood from their hosts, it is possible that they may at times burrow 
deep enough to secure access to the capillaries or feed upon blood that 
may have exuded from wounds upon the surface of the body of the 
bird. 
THE LOUSE OF THE CAT. 
(Trichodectes subrostratus Nitzsch.) 
While it is possible that this parasite was referred to by Otto Fabri- 
cius about the year 1780 under the name of Pediculus canis, the first 
certain reference to it appears to have been the description by Nitzsch 
in 1818. Since that time it has been referred to by nearly all writers 
on the common parasites of animals, but so far as we 
know there has been no special description of the differ 
ent stages, and we must assume that there is no impor 
tant departure from the habits of species that are more 
thoroughly known. 
It is a little more than a millimeter in length, and 
has much the appearance of the species occurring on 
other domestic animals, but is distinguished particu- 
larly by the form of the head, which is quite pointed, 
and the under part of the front of the head is hollowed ee ang 
out in a furrow about the size of a hair. The insect —_eniarged (au- 
will often be found adhering by the mouth parts with — thers illustra 
2 > - aawide tion). 
a hair so closely held in this groove that it is some- 
what difficult to tell where the hair begins as separate from the 
insect. . 
There is no record that we have seen that indicates its presence 
on any other animal than the domestic cat, and, judging by my own 
observation, it is only occasionally that cats become infested with it. 
When they do the usual remedies may be administered, especially 
a washing with kerosene emulsion, after which the animal should 
be aliowed to dry in a warm place, as the fur is so fine that it dries 
Slowly. 
THE BritiInGc LOUSE OF THE Dog, 
( Trichodectes latus Nitzsch. ) 
Something over a century ago DeGeer mentioned a species of para- 
site on the dog under the name of Ricinus canis, which probably 
referred to this species, and another mention by Olfers under the name 
of Pediculus setosus probably preceded the description by Nitzseh 
under the name which the insect has borne since 1818. 
