12 
The Non-Combed Eyed Siphonaptera 
of the human race, many speculations could be indulged in. If the 
“ Indians ” inhabiting Mexico (and presumably those of other countries 
of South and Central America) have a special race of Pulex irritans, it 
is obvious that the parasite has either developed into this special race 
after the Indians came to America, or that they were from the 
beginning infested by this special race of Pulex irritans and not by the 
ordinary form of P. irritans, when they came to America, possibly from 
Asia. If the latter surmise should be correct then this race of flea may 
still exist in the original country whence these Indians came. 
The individual variation in the specimens of Pulex irritans is slight 
and refers especially to the number of bristles situated on the sclerites 
of the thorax and on the legs. The most prominent variation is that 
of the bristles of the femora and of the short spines on the inner side 
of the hindcoxa. These spines are sometimes but few in number, while 
again they may be numerous, the variation in respect to the number 
of these spines in our series of mounted specimens being from 6 to 14. 
We have specimens of Pulex irritans from various places in Europe, 
off man and badger 1 ; Malcoci, Rumania, off fox and Putorius putorius ; 
Rio de Oro, N. W. Africa, off Gerbillus riggenbachi; Mogador, Morocco, 
off Vulpes niloticus ; Hadgine, Taurus, off dog; Adana, Asia Minor, off 
cat and Canis aureus. 
Cairo, Egypt, off Canis zerda and Erinaceus auritus ; Akaki, 
Abyssinia, off man; Ginir, Abyssinia, off Canis spec.; Berbera, X. E. 
Africa, off dog; Dairoli, Abyssinia, off dog; Sidimun, Somaliland, off 
Herpestes gracilis ; Deelfontein, Cape Colony, off Felis caracal and 
Tinamus spec.; Kingwilliamstown ; Benguella, Angola, off Cards spec.; 
Island of St Thome, Bay of Benin, off a sea-bird. 
Yokohama, off dog, cat, and in a house; Kiu-Shiu, Japan, off man; 
Bombay, off man ; Lhassia, Assam, off dog; Gippsland, Victoria, off 
Echidna hystrix ; Paramatta, N. S. Wales, off man; Western Australia. 
Alberta, Canada, off Lynx and Vulpes velox ; Frontera, Tabasco, 
Mexico (= dugesi Baker), off natives; Belize, British Honduras, off 
man; Peru, in houses; Pampa Olliga, Bolivia, off Conipates arequipae ; 
Choro, Bolivia, off Conipates churensis; Sapucay, Paraguay; Temuco, 
Chile, off man and dog; Valparaiso, Chile, in a house, in sand, and off 
Canis griseus. 
1 In England P. irritans is an undoubted parasite of the badger (Meles taxus) , from 
freshly captured wild examples of which animal taken near Reading and Hastings we have 
secured series of this insect. P. irritans occurs occasionally on rats and mice in houses 
and ships. 
