Note on Mallophaga from the Little Auk; &c. 271 



N. varius, N. (including argulus, N.) — From Carrion Crow, l.even, Fife, 

 May 1906 ; and Rook, Dunipace, Stirling, May 1909. 



N. uncinosus, N. — From Hooded Crow, Tyninghame, April 19 L0. 



N. margmalis, N. — From Song-Thrush, Longniddry, Nov., and East Linton, 

 July, and Mistle-Thrush, East Linton, July; var.? from Meadow Pipit (Anlhus 

 pratensis), Gullane Links, Sept. 



N. nebulosus, D. - From Starling, Dunbar and Isle of May, Oct. 1910. 



N. alchatae, Rudow — In May 1888 1 took three specimens of this species from 

 a Pallas's Sand-Grouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) shot on Belhaven Links, near 

 Dunbar, on the 17th. 



N. cameratus, N. (+ quadrulatus, N.) — a good many from Red Grouse 

 (Lagopus scoticus), especially the young birds, shot on the Kitchen Moss, 

 Pentlands, 29th Sept. 1906; and from $ and ? Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), 

 Touch, near Stirling, Dec. 1907. [Also from Red Grouse, Halmyre, Peeblesshire, 

 Feb. 1889, and Capercaillie, Comrie and Dunkeld, Aug. 1906.] The specimens 

 from the Capercaillie are larger (length 2 mm. as against 1"5 mm.), relatively 

 broader, and somewhat paler than those from the Red Grouse, and should, 

 probably, be treated as a variety. The Nirmus of the Capercaillie was called by 

 Nitzsch quadrulatus, and Piaget adopted that name, with cameratus (of the Red 

 Grouse, etc ) as a synonym, the differences attributed to them being, in his 

 opinion, at most of only varietal account. Granting that they are specifically 

 identical, it is clearly cameratus that has priority. In one particular, which 

 may be of significance, Piaget's description of quadrulatus from ihe Capercaillie 

 differs from my specimens from both birds; according 10 him there are hree 

 long hairs on each temple, whereas I find only two, as shown in Denny's figure of 

 cameratus and in that accompanying Shipley's paper in the 1911 Report of the 

 Committee of Inquiry on Grouse Disease. 3 Shipley remarks that the variation in 

 size and in colour, that is among examples from the Red Grouse, is very consider- 

 able ; but his average length of 3 mm. seems to me too high. 



N. furvus, N. — From Lapwing, Colzium, Pentlands, March 1890, and Currie, 

 June 1906; and Ringed Plover, Aberlady, Sept. 1905. 



N. junceus, D. — From Greenshank, Aberlady, Sept. 1884, and Tyne Estuary, 

 Aug. 1889 ; I think these are certainly Denny's junceus whatever that may 

 ultimately prove to be. I have the same or a very similar species from Green 

 Sandpiper (Totanus ochropus), Drem, Aug. 1888, and Linlithgow, Aug. 1890 ; 

 and ? also, but not quite mature, from Redshank (T. calidris), Aberlady, Oct. 

 1884. Only an examination of Denny's types of junceus, ochropi, obscurus, etc., 

 could clear up their synonymy. . 



N. strepsilaris, D. (subcingulatus, N.) 1 ? — The Nirmi I have taken from 

 the Turnstone (Aberlady, Aug. 1886, and Dunbar, Sept. 1911) agree best with that 

 of furous among the figures in Piaget's work ; but they look different from my 

 specimens of that species from the Lapwing — they are not so yellow and the 

 dark markings are more pronounced. Possibly they are Denny's strepsilaris, but 

 if so his figure is rather misleading. 



N. vanelli, D. — Specimens of a Nirmus from Grey Plover, Aberlady, Sept. 1885, 

 are clearly the same as Denny's insect from the same bird, the Vanellus griseus, 

 of his time. Though more pronounced in their markings, I place here also S"me 

 from Golden Plover, West Lothian, Sept. 



1 Since the above was written I have obtained further specimens from a Capercaillie from 

 near Callander, and also some from Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) from near Dunipace. 

 Among the former there are examples — males — with three long hairs on each temple, so that 

 the supposed difference in this respect seems to break down. Nevertheless I am disposed, 

 for the present, to keep the Capercaillie Nirmi apart under the name quadrulatus. Those 

 from the Black Grouse I place, with those from the Red Grouse, under cameratus. 



