K. Jordan and N. C. Rothschild 
29 
The eighth to tenth segments are modified, partly for sexual purposes. 
In the females, in which sex these segments are less complicated than in 
the males, the eighth tergite is very large, the sternite being reduced to 
a small elongate sclerite lying in between the ventral edges of the tergite 
(PI. V, figs. 7—9). The tergite is much narrower dorsally than at the 
sides, where it is much dilated, and at the edge of the dorsal portion the 
large cavity of the stigma is situated. Above this stigma there are no 
bristles in Loemopsylla or only one or two very minute hairs, while the 
wide lateral portion of the segment bears numerous bristles. The 
number and position of these bristles are of taxonomic value, being 
more or less conspicuously different in the various species (PI. Y, 
figs. 7—9 ; PI. VI, figs. 1—4). The sensory plate situated on the ninth 
tergite (PI. YI, figs. 1—4) bears in Loemopsylla and allies on each side 
14 setiferous grooves. There are fleas, however, in which the grooves 
are more numerous (for instance in Chaetopsylla). The dorsal out¬ 
line of the plate is straight, and not much curved in lateral aspect. 
The ninth sternite is membranaceous laterally, extending far downwards, 
the most ventral portion being more strongly chitinized and forming 
a small sclerite. This plate lies inside the seventh or eighth segment 
and forms the ventral wall of the vaginal cavity, the duct of the 
receptaculum seminis ending above this plate (PI. VII, fig. 4). The 
stylet of the anal (= tenth) segment is short and conical, being longer 
in pallidus than in the other species of Loemopsylla. The anal sternite 
is usually triangular in side-view (PI. VI, figs. 1—4), bearing a long 
bristle ventrally before the apex and several shorter ones at the apex, 
there being also 3 or 4 bristles at the upper edge neai'ly ecpiidistant 
from each other. 
The sexually modified abdominal segments of the </ of the various 
members of the genus Loemopsylla (PI. IV, figs. 6—12 : PI. V, figs. 1—6) 
exhibit a very uniform type of structure, differing in several details from 
those of all other genera, with the exception of Pariodontis and Moeo- 
psylla. The eighth tergite is small as compared with the eighth sternite, 
as is the case in all the allied genera. Its lower inner angle is not 
prolonged into a long slender manubrium as in Pidex irritans, being 
triangular in side-view. It slopes ventrally upwards, the ventral line 
being longer than the distance from the apex of the sternite to the upper 
corner of the stigma-cavity of the eighth tergite. The eighth sternite 
bears several bristles ventrally on each side, some species having only 
2 or 3 bristles ( e.g. L. mycerini, erilli, ramesis etc.), while others have a 
large number ( e.g.L. scopidifer, nubicus etc.). The organs of copulation 
