EPIMYS RATTUS 



.867 



Epimys norvegicus Erxleben, 1777. 



Pulex irritans Linnaeus, Xenopsylla cheopis Rothschild, Cteno- 

 cephalus felis Bouche, C. canis Curtis, CercLtophylhis fasciatits Bosc, 

 C. londiniensis Rothschild, C. penicilliger Grube, Ctenocephalus 

 musculi Duges, Neopsylla bidentaliformis Wagner. 



Epimys norvegicus is the true host of Ceratophyllus fasciatus. 



Mus musculus Linnaeus, 1758. 



Ceratophyllus fasciatus Bosc, C. londiniensis Rothschild, C. walkeri 

 Rothschild, Odontopsyllus charlottensis Baker (?), Ctenocephalus 

 serraticeps Taschenberg, C. musculi Duges, Typhlopsylla assimilis 

 Taschenberg, T. agyrtes Heller, Hystrichopsylla tripectinata Tira- 

 boschi. 



Kpimys rattus Linnaeus, 1758. 



Pulex irritans Linnaeus, Xenopsylla cheopis Rothschild, Cteno- 

 cephalus felis Bouche, C. canis Curtis, CeraAophyllus fasciatus Bosc, 

 C. londiniensis Rothschild, Ctenopsylla musculi Duges, Dermato- 

 philus ccecata Enderlein, Echidnophaga rhynchopsylla Tiraboschi, 

 E. gallinacea Westwood. 



Of all these fleas, the most important with regard to plague are : — 



A. Spreading the disease from rat to rat — -Xenopsylla cheopis 

 Rothschild and its allies; Ceratophyllus fasciattis Bosc and its 

 allies; Ctenopsylla musculi Duges; Ctenocephalus felis Bouche; 

 C. canis Curtis. 



B. Spreading the disease from rat to man — Pulex irritans 

 Linnaeus, Xenopsylla cheopis Rothschild, Ctenocephalus felis Bouche, 

 C. canis Curtis, Ceratophyllus fasciat us Bosc. 



Of all these, the most important is Xenopsylla cheopis Roths- 

 child, and it is believed that its true host is Epimys rattus, 



Citellus beecheyi Richardson. 



This is the ground squirrel of California, which has been proved 

 to play an important part in the plague infection of that country, 

 and its fleas have been recently studied, and it has been found that 

 Hoplopsyllus anomalus Baker is capable of carrying the bacillus, 

 and according to McCoy Ceratophyllus acutus Baker can also convey 

 the disease from squirrel to squirrel. 



Arctomys bobse Schreb. 



This is the tarbagan, and its common flea is Ceratophyllus silvan- 

 tieri Wagner, i8g8. 



Pulex Linnaeus, 1758. 



PulicincB with head without notch on the frons; antennal groove 

 closed behind by a genal process. Strong incrassation separating 

 occiput and frons. Eye large, a little pointed below, with two 

 bristles beneath it, and one on the oral edge. Anterior angle of 

 genal process projecting somewhat downwards, and usually bearing 



