ARTICULATA. 147 
upon the back and breast, and in the clothing of unclean persons. It is 
more slender, with a thinner neck than /?. capitis, and its eggs are attached 
to the hair of the breast andarms. It is common upon the lower classes in 
Russia and Spain. LP. tabescentiwm infests the body also. It resembles . 
capitis and P. vestimenti, but is a little larger, the head round, the thorax 
quadrate, the abdomen ending with four bristles, the antennee rather long, 
and the color pale yellow. It inhabits the human body in the folds of the 
skin, and is found in connexion with the disease named Phthiriasis. It 
forms small scale-like flaps of the skin, beneath which it is found, partieu- 
larly upon the back, breast, and neck. Among those who have died of this 
disease were Antiochus Epiphanes, Herod, Plato, the emperor Maximian, 
and the poets Alemanus and Ennius. Burmeister thinks this species has a 
spontaneous origin in the corruption of the fluids in old or enervated sub- 
jects. He states that it is not contagious, as a woman of seventy who 
occupied a bed with her husband did not communicate it to him. This 
case was cured by the application of oil of turpentine. Cleanliness is of no 
avail, new lice being in some cases produced until the death of the patient. 
See Burmeister’s Manual of Entomology, English ed., p. 807, § 208; and 
Kirby’s Bridgewater Treatise, chap. 1. The human race is attacked by 
still another and smaller species of parasite, which diflers so much from the 
former one, as to constitute a distinct genus named Phthirius (P. pubis, 
pl. 7, fig. 76). The body of this Species is short and wide, and the thorax 
much wider than the head. It infests the axillary and inguinal regions. 
frum. 2. Nirmide. These insects are chiefly found infesting birds, and 
are familiarly termed bird lice. The head is generally large and triangular, 
rounded in front, and often with pointed projections; the mouth is beneath ; 
the labrum, labium, mandibles, and maxille are present, the last being in 
most cases minute, and either with or without palpi. When the palpi are 
present, they have four articulations. These insects do not feed upon blood, 
but the feathers upon which they are usually found seem to supply them 
with food.. A bird may have from one to five species of these lice; and 
the same species sometimes inhabits several distinct birds, but in general 
certain forms are confined to certain orders and families of them. 
The genus Zrichodectes of Nitzsch belongs to this family, and is found 
upon Mammalia, as the dog, cat, weasel, bear, porcupine, horse, ox, sheep, 
deer, &c. Gyropus also infests Mammalia. The most useful single work 
upon this order is Denny’s Monographia Anoplurorum Britanniee, London, 
1842, 8vo., with 26 colored plates. 
Orver 3. Srpnonosroma. This name was proposed for the fleas (Pulex, 
and several allied genera) by Latreille, in 1825; Kirby and Spence named 
them Aphaniptera, in 1826 ; Degeer named them Suctoria, 1778 ; and some 
restrict the term Aptera to them. The mouth approaches nearer to that of 
the higher Dzptera, with which order they have the greatest affinity, and in 
which they would probably be placed by Burmeister. Fleas are parasitic 
in their perfect state, infesting man, beasts, and birds. The body is com- 
pressed, with a tough shining integument, and transverse rows of bristles. 
There are no wings, but these organs are represented by two scales on 
351 
