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Larvae of Fleas 
Literature. 
The earlier writings on the larvae of fleas, by Leeuwenhoek (1693), 
Cestone (1699), Yallisneri (1733), Roesel (1749), De Geer (1778) and 
Westwood (1848), are mainly of historic interest. The precise refer¬ 
ences to the papers are given by Kiinckel (1873, pp. 132-134), 
together with a few remarks as to the scope and value of each. 
The memoir by Bonnet (1867) and the recent note by Newstead 
(1907-8) refer solely to the Jigger Flea ( Sarcopsylla penetrans), the 
larva of which differs in several features, particularly in its small size, * 
from the larvae of Pulicid fleas, which are alone considered in the present 
paper. 
Blanchard (1868, p. 631) gives a rather poor figure of the larva of 
Pulex irrilans and a few remarks upon the life history, and the figure, 
given by Taschenberg (1880, PI. IV, fig. 30), is equally unsatisfactory. 
The first paper of any considerable importance that deals with the 
larvae of fleas is that of Laboulbene (1872), a paper read before the 
Entomological Society of France in 1862, but not published until 1872. 
This author describes and figures the egg, larva and pupa of the cat-flea. 
Kunckel’s paper, published in the following year (1873), contains 
a valuable historical review, and observations on the structure and 
habits of the larvae of the cat-flea, and a flea (Ceratophyllus fasciatus), 
obtained from a dormouse ( Myoxus nitela). 
Packard (1894) deals fairly fully with the structure of both newly- 
hatched and full-grown larvae of Ctenocephalus canis, and although 
imperfect in several respects, this paper constitutes the best account of 
the structure of a flea larva published up to the present time 1 . 
Eggs. 
The eggs of fleas are large enough to be readily seen with the naked 
eye ; they are oval in shape and measure in the different species from 
0 - 4 to 0 - 6 mm. in long diameter 2 . Examined under a lens they appear 
1 After the manuscript of the present paper was sent to press our attention has been 
directed to a paper by Dr A. C. Oudemans, published in September 1913. Tins paper, 
entitled “ Suctoriologisehes aus Maulwurfsnestern,” and published in the Tijdschrift voor 
Entomologie (lvi. 3, pp 238-280, with seven plates) gives good descriptions and figures 
of the larvae of Hystrichopsylla talpae and Spalacopsylla bisbidenlatus. 
- Measurements of the eggs of Ctenocephalus felis, Ctenocephalus canis, Ceratophyllus 
fasciatus and Pulex irritans are given by A. W. Baeot in the Proceedings of the Entomological 
Society, March 1911, p. vi; and to that list may now be added the following: Leptopsylla 
musculi, length of egg 0'4—0'425 mm., width 0’230-0‘250 mm.; Xenopsylla clieopis, length 
0’450-0'475 mm., width 0’3 mm. 
