199 
A NEW AFRICAN LOUSE {POLYPLAX GALVA n. sp.) 
FROM CRICET0MY8. 
By JAMES WATERSTON, B.D., B.Sc. 
Imperial Bureau of Entomology, London. 
(With 2 Text-figures.) 
Polyplax calva sp. nov. 
(J ?. Head (Fig. 2, A and B) long with well-marked postero lateral angles, and 
distinctly angled posteriorly; bare above, behind the pre-antennal suture, 
except for two postero-lateral spines '{1, 1). Antennae similar, the first joint 
of the d' larger and broader. Tergiies and sternites indistinctly developed, 
consisting of small discontinuous chitinous areas at the base of the bristle; 
pleuriies reduced, projecting shortly above and below in minutely denticulate 
or frayed points. 
$. Head (5: 3) produced before the antennae about the length of the second antennal 
joint, and, as seen in spirit specimens, a Uttle truncate anteriorly; when 
mounted in balsam more pointed owing to the flattening out of the conical 
mouth opening; the latter with about six minute bristles and ten denticles. 
The narrow pre-antennal portion of the head bears dorsally find anteriorly 
two more approximated, and posteriorly two more widely separated minute 
bristles; two similar bristles at the side; antero-ventrally there are two short 
bristles behind the perioral chitinous ring, and there is the usual pair of 
bristles (1:1) just at the insertion of the antennae. Behind the antennae 
the head has the sides subparallel, very little swollen and remarkably bare both 
ventraUy and dorsally; the postero-lateral spines almost half the greatest 
breadth of the head. Antennae : the first and third joints, also the fourth 
and fifth, are equal; the third joint is longest. The first joint is one-fourth 
broader than long; all the others longer than broad, and the second, third 
and fourth are about the same thickness; the fourth joint is square, and the 
fifth half as long again as broad. The sense organs on joints 4-5 are small 
and circular; on the fourth joint single; on the fifth double and fused. 
Thorax', one minute spine above the spiracle of the prothorax; mesothoracic 
spiracle with one stouter short spine in front and a long, very stout bristle 
behind, otherwise bare dorsally. Sternal plate shield-shaped, seven-sided 
(see Fig. 2, G), and in well-marked specimens with a faint, straight prolongation 
between the anterior (first pair) coxae. 
