^ \/ U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. division of entomology. Bulletin No. 7. ss4^^=^^— — — = THE m'^ \960 ILI AND MALLOPHAGA AFFECTING MAN AND THE LOWER ANIMALS. BY PROF. HERBERT OSBORN. (PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE S .. ^S OEP^isSi^p^G'IlON! GOVERN ME nT" P k I N Ti N G OFFICE. I 89 I U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. division of entomology. Bulletin No. 7. THE PEDICULI AND MALLOPHAGA AFFECTING MAX AND THE LOWER ANIMALS. BY PROF. HERBERT OSBORN. (PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 189 I. CONTENTS Page. Letter of submittal 3 Introiluctory note 5 Heniiptura-I'arasita 7 Family I'ediculidai — The Suctorial Lice . 7 The Crab Louse 8 The Head Louse 9 The Body Louse 9 The Louse of the Ape 10 Lice infestiu}; the Monkey 11 The suckini; Dog-Loose 11 The Louse of the Camel 12 Lice infestiug the Giratfe, Deer, and Antelope IJ The sucking Louse of the goat 12 The short-nosed OxLouse 13 The long-nosed Ox-Louse 16 The Buflfalo Lonse 18 TheHogLou.se 18 The sucking Horse-Louse 21 Sucking Lice infesting the Eodenls- 22 The Elephant Louse 22 Technical Descriptions of New Species. 23 Louse of the Field Mouse 23 Louse of the Flying Squirrel 23 Louse of the FoiSing ventricleaud the peristaltic movements of the stomach." The species infesting man are so nearly related to the others that we can not well pass tliem liy witlioiit notice. THE CKAIi LOUSE. {Phthirius inguinalis Leach.) If we may depend upon ancient writers this species has been a long coini)anion of man. According to Denny it is recorded by Qerodotus, and according to Piaget was leferred to in the writings of Aristotle. Some of the ancient accounts treat of it as occurring in the most pro- digious numbers and causing most serious ailments to the infested l)arties. The disease jtroduced gained the name of Phtliiriasin, though doubtless this term has been applied also to the attacks of the other species of parasites infesting man. Its attacks are said to be more severe than those of the other forms of lice, though it is quite i)robable that in the worst cases reported the different species have been jiiesent, since the conditions favoring the increase of one will favor also the others. The reports, especially of the earlier writers, have many of them doubtless been subject to great exaggeration, for while the normal rate of increase will account for the sudden appearance and rai)id multiplication of the lice under certain conditions, it is not equal to the marvelous stories which are to be met with even in some works that lay claim to accuracy. The ciab louse infests particularly the I)ul>ic regions, but occurs also among the still' hairs under the arms, in the l>eard, aud it is said also among the hairs of the eye- brows. It does uot live in the fine hair of the head. It is very distinct from the other species, the body being nearly as wide as long, ',v / , A^ while the strong legs spreading out later- TiG 2. rhthiriu4 i„!,uinai„ ally Very greatly increase its apparent (Aficr DiDuy from Murray) width aud gives it the fomi of a crab in min- iature, thus winning for it the name of crab louse. It is of a whitish color, with a dusky patch on each shoulder, and with the legs slightly tinged with reddish, the claws having this color more pronounced. It is nearlv one-tenth of an inch in length. The remedies adopted for tbe head louse are applicable to tl)is spe- cies, though it is said they are less effectual and nnist be persisted iu more vigorously, lied precipitate is probably most frequeutlj' used. THE UEAD LOUSE. (Pedhulus capitis De Geer.) This louse has been recognized under one name or another as far back as we have history. While very generally confused with the following species it is probably the one mostcommonly known, though perhaps not tlie one which has caused the greatest amount of annoyance or that has occurred in the greatest numbers. The two si)ecies were not clearly defined till comparatively recent times. Elaborate writings upon the louse were given by Swammerdam, Leeu- weuhoek (1G93), and descriptions of it by Redi, DeGeer, Linn6, Geoft'roy, P.urmeister, Leach, and others, besides in- numerable brief mentions and a goodly number of elabor- ate memoirs upon its embryology, etc. In later days, while a most annoying pest, it does not appear to have caused such serious results as the body louse or the crab louse. It is confined to the fine hair of the head, rarely occur- ring on other parts of the body. The eggs (nits) are white and glued to the hair at some distance from the head, an«l are most abuudaut, we have F\G.3.-Pedicuius observed, back of tlie ears. When numerous they form capitis (after , . , mi 1 ' 1 • Packanl). quite conspicuous objects. The young upon hatching from these resemble the adults, except in size and in being less dis- tinctly marked. The i)roportions of the body are also somewhat differ- ent, the abdomen being smaller than after it has become enlarged by a steady diet upon human blood. The full grown lice are whitish, with faint dark markings at the sides of the thorax and abdomen. The last segment of the abdomen in the female is bilobed. Murray has shown that the different races of man harbor different varieties of this species of louse, the difference iu the varieties being par- ticularly m color and in the form of the claws. In color they differ from the nearly white infesting Europeans to the black infesting the African. The claws differ somewhat in proportions and Murray thinks these differences constant, but they can at most be considered only as varietal diff'erences. Remedies are white precipitate, sulphur ointment, and especially cleanliness. THE BODY LOUSE. {Pedieidus vestimenti Leach.) As with the preceding species the history of this parasite is lost in antiquity, and most of the early accounts failed to indicate any differ- lu Fig. 4. Pediculut vttti- menti (after Dcnuy). ence in the two forms. In tin* works of DeGeer, Leach, Denny, and others they are (listinjfuished and well characterized. This form is most common where opportunities for jjood sanitation are wanting', as in armies, prisons, and all places where attention to bodily cleanliness from choice or necessity is neglected. It is not known to infest other animals, thon 12 This species is somewhat smaller than the lice infesting most of th larger mammals, the full-grown individuals being nearly one-tenth o an iM(;li long. It i.s described generally as of a light-red or ashy flesl color, but evidently varies as the other species, according to couditioi of the body as well as age of specimens. In preserved si)ecimeu6 thes< colors become lighter, assuming a yellowish hue, the alxlomen, excep where darkened by the intestine and its contents, appearing a shadt lighter than the front part of the body. The abdomen is thickly cov ered with Hue hairs and minute warty eminences, these latter when mag nihed al>(>ut 300 diameters appearing like the scales of a lizard or tish Specimens from different breeds of dogs do not apjjear to have beei. noticed as different, though a form described as II. hicolor by Lucas may perhaps be found to present race characteristics. xni: Lot SE OF the (;amel. {Ilamatopinus caineli Iledi.) We follow Giebel and Piaget in admitting this species, though it does not appear' to have been observed by any modern naturalist. Piaget says (Les Pedic, p. G44) : " La figure que douue Redi, le seul qui aitobservd cette espece, se rapproche beaucoup de celle de I'MriM*." LICE INFESTING THE GIRAFFE, DEEK, AND ANTELOPE. (Hcvmatopinus sp.) Closely related to the lice infesting the other hoofed quadrupeds are the lice infesting respectively the giraffe, deer, and antelope. The species infesting the giraffe [CainclopurdaVts (jirnffa) was described by Giebel uuder the uame Hivmatopinus hreticornis ; that iufesting tl deer was first mentioned by Redi and described and nametl by Nitzsch as Ha'Diatopiniis cra-ssiconiift ; it is recorded from the red deer (Cervuselaphus). The Ha'tnatopinuii tibialis Piaget, from Antilopa maori. is, according to its author, represented by varieties on the Antilopa sji. and the Antilopa suhcuttiirosa, and he considers it possible that the H. cervicaprw Lucas, from Antilopa cervicapra, is also a variety of this same species. THE SUCKLNG LOUSE OF THE GOAT. {Ila-inatopinus stenopxis Burmeister.) We have no record of this si)ecies having been observed in this coun- try, and judging by the references to it in standard works it must be of rather rare occurrence in countries where these animals are kept in greater abundance than here. The species is not, so far as at i)resent known, transmissible to any i other domestic animal, and if ever becomiug abundant will doubtless 13 yield to the treatment used for the other species, though the long hair would make some of them more ditliciilt of application. On this account t fumigation where possible would seem to be most i)racticable. THE SHORT-NOSED OX-LOUSE. {II(cmato2)iiuis curysternus, Nitzsch.) This is the species that has probably been familiar from early time as the louse infesting cattle, though since this species and the following one have been generally confused, it is impossible to say which has been most common. It was hrst accurately described by Nitzsch under theummeof Pediculus euri/sternus^in 1818 (Germar's Mag., vol. iii, p. 305), and has received mention in every important treatise on parasites since that date, as well as innumerable notices under the head of animal parasites, cattle lice, etc. As with other species, the disease produced has been termed phthiriasis, and as treated by Kollar and other writers it has been recognized as a most serious pest and numerous remedies tried for its suppression. Since it has been very generally confused with the following species we shall give more particular description and show as clearly as possi- ble how to distingush them. The following quotation from Mr. C. W. Tenney (in Iowa Homestead for August IS, 1882) will show that this ditference is not without interest or value as viewed by a i)ractical breeder : " Then there is a blue slate-colored louse and a larger one of the same color that vary somewhat in their habits, and the last-men- tioned is the hardest to dislodge.'' Evidently it is the species under discussion to which Mr. Tenney refers as the "larger one." It infests particularly the neck and shoulders, and these parts are frequently worn bare by the efforts of the animal to rid itself of the irritation pro- duced by these unwelcome visitors. Still, some cattlemen say that these parasites are of no consequence, and that they never pay any attention to them. The full-grown females are about one-eighth to one-fifth of an inch long, and fully half that in width, while the males are a little smaller and proportionately a little narrower. Aside from the difference in size the sexes differ very decidedly in the markings and structural fea- tures upon the under side of the body. The males have a broad black strii)e running forward from the end of the body to near the middle of the abdomen, as shown in Fig. 6c. The females have no indications of this stripe, but the black broken band of the upper side of the terminal segment extends slightly around on the under side. The most important character, however, is the presence of two little brush-like organs on the next to the last seg- ment, as shown in Fig. 6d. The head is bluntly rounded in front, nearly as broad as long, and with the antenuje situated at the sides midway from the posterior to the 14 anterior borders ; behind these are located slight eminences upon which may be found the small eyes, which are seen with considerable difliculty. At the froDt of the head may be seen the small lostriim or beak, the end of which is usually at or near the surface, but which is capable ol extension and retraction. The end of this beak is armed with a double row of recurved hooks (see Fig. 6h). The function of these hooks is Fig. C. — Hfriiiatopinut fiirytUmtu: a. frmale; 6, rostrum ; r, ventral »nr- face last Sf^juieuCsof iiisle : d. feuale ; e. rgg ; /, gurfacti of ejij; jirratlv eoiarged. (Orij^ioal.) doubtless to fasten the beak firmly into the skin of tiie host, while the true puminng organ must consist, as in the PedUuU. of a slender jtien- ing tube, though we can see only slight indications of this tube within the head, and we have not seen it nor do we find any record of its ha\ - ing been seen fully extended in this species. Professor llarker says . the rostrum can be pushed out, but his figure shows only the basal por-j tion with the crown of hooks and nothing of the tubular parts inclosed within. The thorax is wider than long and widest at the posterior margin where it joins the abdomen. The legs jiroject from the side, are Jung j and stout, and especially adapted to clasping and clinging to the hair. An extra provision for this i)urpose consists of a double plate having, fine transverse ridges in the basal joint of the tarsus. This structurej api>ears to have been first described by Professor Uarker (Agricnlturalj Students' Gazette, vol. i. p. KJlM. The abdomen ditters greatly in form and size, according to the tlegree of distention, which accounts fortlie discrepancies in the dill'erent figures of tlii.-^ species. It may l>e called tiask-shaped and more or less tiattened according to the amount of mat- ter contained in it. There is a row of horny tubercles along each side and a row of chitinous plates along each side of the upper surface of the abdomen. The spiracles are located in the tubercles at the sides, and there is one to each of the last six segments omitting the termin; one. In color there is some variation, as would be surmised from comparison of descriptions l)y difterent authors. The general colo 15 of the bead and thorax is a light brown approaching to yellowish, with touches of bright chestnut on the head and legs and margins of the thorax, also touches of dark brown on these parts, more particu- larl}' on the dorsal portion of the thorax. The abdomen in fresh speci- mens has a general bluish aspect, not so noticeable in preserved spec- imens, besides its color depends evidently in large degree upon its con- tents. Denny says " grayish- white or ochraceous gray," which would apply well to preserved specimens, but his plate shows it a blue-gray. Barker says brownish gray. It appears to us that the term used by Mr. Tenuey, blue slate-colored, comes quite as near describing the average appearance as any that we have seen. The tubercles at the side of the abdomen and the chitinous plates are chestnut-colored, while the most of the upper surface of the terminal segment in the female and the ven- tral stripe in the male are black. The females dei)osit their eggs on the hair, attaching them very near the skin. Fig. G, e represents one of the eggs, showing its attachment to the hair and the distance from the root of the hair in the specimen drawn. The adhesive substance evidently invests the ^gg during oviposition and is touched to the hair, the egg then slightly drawn along so as to leave th e glue-like mass to form a firm union around the hair and to the egg. The egg is elongate-oval, tapering at the lower end, and having a cap-like covering at the upper end. The surface is set with very minute points just visible under an inch objective, but showing clearly with a power of 300 diameters. At the surface no con- nection is to be seen between different points, but focusing a little below the surface brings into view what appear to be minute threads or chan- nels running from i)oint to point and giving a reticulate appearance to theeggshell. The points can not correspond to thecircular bodiesrepre- sented in Denny's figure (E, Plate XXV, Monog. Anop, Brit.) which have much more the appearance of protoplasmic granules of the ^gg contents. The shape of the ^gg in his figure is also entirely' different from that of the specimen from which our figure is drawn. The young louse escapes from the outer or unattached end, whether by i)ushiug oft' the cap-like portion or by simply pushing through this portion which appears to be thinner than the rest and may be simply membranous, is not, so far as we know, determined. Xo marked changes, except in size and the development of the chitinous patches, occur from hatching to maturity. This is one of the most ditticult parasites to destroy, and once settled upon an animal should receive prompt and thorough treatment. The main reliance of veterinarians seems to be stavesacre, and this can doubtless be depended upon to accomplish the desired end. Mr. Tenuey recommends the seed of common larkspur steeped, and the animal thoroughly washed with the liquid. He says: " I have known one ap- plication to destroy every insect and ^gg:, two will suffice if done thoroughly.*' Of course this and the stavesacre are nearly identical, 16 both plants l)elongiug to the genus Delphinium. "Washes of carbolic acid soap or of tobacco infusion are also effectual, but washes of any kind are ofcour.se illy adaptctl to use in midwinter, the time when there is fre(pK*ntly most necessity for treatment. Mercurial ointment, sulphur, or tobacco smoke, kerosene and lard, or kerosene emulsion, road dust, ashes, etc., may be resorted to, according to the circumstances. In- fested anitnals should, if po.ssible, be place()()) from the Box ca/er and with the rcdivithis (77.) huflali of DeGeer (Mem., vii, GS), in whieh case the name given by De- Geer should be adopted for the species. Kudow (Zeits f. tl. gesNaturw., XXXIV, 1G7) describes a species under the name of Ihnnatnpinus punc- iatus, Irom the Bos grtnuiiens, whieh possibly will be found referable to this same species. Whether the same s])ecies occurs on our American bison is not known, but the unfortunate extermination of this animal renders the question, from a practical standpoint, of little importance. Lucas de- scribes and figures the species in the Annaies de la Societe Entom. de France (ISoli, ser. 2, torn, x, p. o31, PI. 11, No. ii) referring it to the species described by Burmeistir in 1838 in the "Genera Inseetorum." Specimens, he says, occurred in immense numbers on a Bos hubalus in the Museum of Natural History. IIIK IIOG-LOUSE. {Ha'matopinu.s urius Nilzseh.) Occasionally this species appears in formidable numbers, since we ofti'u hear of swine badly atlected with lice, and no other species is known to attack this animal. 19 • Giebel credits tin's species to Moiifet, citing the Tiieatrum Iiisector. (1034, 2u()), while I'iaget states tliat it is cited by Mouf'eton the uutiior- ity of Albertus (IV., C. 20o), which would carry its recognition back to the thirteenth century. Tiinii;eiis described it under the name of Fed- iculus suis, which name has been most commonly followed, but NitzscU revived the name of nrius and this name has been followed by Giebel and Piaget. Along with otiier parasites it received frequent mention by both early and modern writers. Denny speaks of it as rare in Eng- land, but common in Ireland, He says (Monog. Anop. Brit., p. 35) : "Tliis speciesis found in great numbers on swine, but it does not ap- pear so generally spread as might be expected from the dirty habits of the animals. It most frequently oecurs OJi those fresh imported from the sister isle. It was many months before I could obtairi a single ex- ample. I had applied to both farmers and pig butchers, neither of whom seemed to approve of the idea which I had conceived, that of their pigs being lousy, but referred me to those of the Emerald Isle as beiug sure to gratify my wishes (forgetting, I suspect, that the Irish pigs come to this market to meet English buyers). I accordingly vis- ited a colony just arrived, where I most certainly met with a ready sup- ply; but here they were confined almost entirely to lean animals, and wherever I found a \ng fat or healthy no game were to be seen." Most stockbreeders have probably seen instances of its abundance, and from the frequent mention of it in the agricultural paper's, it would seem to be quite common throughout the country, and while, perhaps, less generally distributed than the ox-louse, to multiply some times so as to cause much more apparent damage to its host. The fact that they are more commonly found on poor or runty animals should not be taken as evidence that they have a preference for such animals, but rather that the animals upon which they have multiplied rapidly have, in consequence, become emaciated and unhealthy. That they do not in- crease more rapidl}' and become a much greater nuisance niaj' be in part because the majority of hogs are sold and slaughtered at a compar- atively early age, and with each one slaughtered must perish the para- sites which have been sup|)orted by it, unless, perchance, an occasional one escape the scalding trough and succeed in finding another host. Of the vast number of hogs shipped to market and slaughtered at the great packing houses, none can bequeath the insects they have nurtured to their followers. The amount of injury and the consequent need of precautio*iary measures are, therefore, much less for this species than for many others. This is one of the largest species of the family, full grown individuals measuring a fourth of an inch or more in length. It is of a gray color, with the margins of the head and thorax and most of the abdomen dark. The head is quite long, the sides nearly parallel, with strong eminences just back of the antennc-^, which are set on the sides of the head, midway from rostrum to occiput ; the legs are lighter with dark 20 bands at the joints; the spiracles are inclosed bv a black chitinoas eminence, and tliere is a broad black band on the last segment, broken near the middle. (See Fig. S.j Fig S.-Hc.',natopimu un,«.- a. female; 6. male, ventral view of posterior segmeDU ; r, le« .howine protractile disk of tibia. (Original.) The male has the abdomen marked beneath with a large black area extending forward from the end of the terminal .scgmenr. soas to occui>y the central portion of the last three segments. There is a cnrions provision in the feet for strengthening the hold upon the hair, which does not seem to have been hitherto described. It consists of a circnlar pad-like organ or disk in the outer iwrtion of the tibia which is received in a conical cavity in the end of the tibia, and which can be forced out so as to press upon the hair iield between the claws of the tarsus and the end of the tibia. Ordinarily, and always in the dead si)ecimens, this i« withdrawn so as to appear simply as a part of the end of the tibia, and the spines located on its margin, appear to belong to the tibial rim, but if exam- ined with sufficient magnification when tlie louse is alive it is easy to observe the extrusion of the organ. Whether similar organs exist in related species is vet undetermined, but it seems tpiite probable that they should, since in the specimens examined microscopically we have usually to deal with dead and i»re- served individuals in which this structiue wouhi almost certainly escape notice. * Tiie eggs are one millimeter and a half in length (.0(5 in.) by three- fourth.- of a millimeter in width (.(>.{ in.). They are light yellow or dusky 21 ■wliitish in color, ami tapor slightly to the point of attachment. The circular lid-liko portion is large, occupying nearly all the surface of the free end of the i'g^};. Tiiey are attached usually near the base of the hairs. On account of the thinness of the hair, the application of remedies, where necessary, is quite easy. Washes of tobacco water or dilute car- bolic acid, and the api)lication of kerosene in lard, or kerosene emulsion by means of force pump, sulphur, ointment, etc., are recommended. The application of fine dust may be i^rovided for naturally by allowing the hogs a chance to roll in a roadway or any place well supplied with fiii^ dust. Where this is impiacticable the dust, ashes, or ])Owdered charcoal may be a2)plied directly to the neck and back of the infested animal. The species is not known to attack any other of the domestic animals, and hence no precautionary measures in this direction are necessary. TIIK SUCKING HORSE LOUSE. {Haematopinus roveof anv tr.mble. The common rat [Mm decumanuH) supports a si)ecies, Divmatoinnm xp^nuloHUH,^^■\n^^^ with its host must be distributed over most of the world. It has been taken at Ames, Iowa, though in small numbers, and It seems to be rather scarce. It is not recorded heretofore for this country .so far as we know, and juany animals were examined before finding specimens; a fact in part due, i)erhaps, to its minuteness. It IS a snudl .species of a light yellotv color, the head projecting very little in front of the antenn;e and the thorax very sh<.rt. The mice are said to harbor a distinct species, but there seems to be some doubt as to its being a genuine species. JLcmatojunus aeanthopus occurs on the field mice and has been taken ^t Ames from a species of An-icohi. It resembles the preceding iu c.dor and form, but is somewhat larger; the egg presents Pome peculiar- ities, which are described in detad in the api)eiidix. Other species described in European works are the //. sphnrovephalus oii Sciiiriis ruh/aris, and Jf. hrvinscuhis on Spermophih(.i irersmanni, and two si)ecies, H. hjriocephalus and H. irnfricosus. on labbit or hare. These have not been met with as yet in this countrv. Specimens have been taken from our common flying squirrel, fox squirrel,ground squirrels, and chipmunk, and also from the white footed mouse and the pocket gopher, which do not ai.i)ear to have been previ- ously described, and tlie.se will be found described in detail in the ap- pended note. THE ELEPHANT LOUSE. (Ba-matomyzHs proboncidcus Piaget.) This louse, infesting the elephant, is about as exceptional in its way as the animal which harbors it. It appears to be of quite recent notice, though it is not unlikely that it has been known in countries 23 where the elephant has been domesticated for an indefinite length of time. It was described by Piaget (Tijdschr. voor. Ent., 2(1 series, iv, 2r)4) in 18(50, nnder the name ot llama- iomyzus elephanti.s. The same author, however, in his elaborate n:onowr^ sliiiobed posteriorly ; anterior legsnot half the size ^Mn VaJ \'\--(jSLy^^'0^^of the others, claws weak ; i)08terior legs largest. I- .If a'/^n^W^ Theseandsecond ones provided with slrougclasp- 1 5 (la' 41 w I ' , "^^ '"K claws, or terminal joint of tarsus, o])posing I 2 ^"^"'VJ-,-^ /!' ' ' ' y mi basal joint of tarsus, which is i)rovided witlr c;7 antenna- set near tlj« front; lirst joint large, short ; second > longest, the rest nearly equal; fourth with a small tooth on J the posterior border, terminal pit with several short hairs. Thorax shorter th:in the head, small, sternal jdate cuneiform, obtusely angular, irregularly oroldiquely truncate in front and 6har]»ly pointed behind ; autciior legs small and w.ak, the middle ones somewhat larger, the posterior pair much the large.st, llatteiied ; terminal joint of tarsus very broad and curved, opposing ba.sal joint of tarsus and meeting tibial spur in such manner that the three form almost a complete cvlin- HeZori,yJ-TZZ f «' ' ^^'^""-" -"^ elongate, sparsely set with short spiny view; 6, head; c, sternal "'ITS, ono or two long hairs at lateral angles of sixth and plato; d, posterior leg; c, seventh segments. terniiDal se-meuis, male; Male, more slender, head longer and tapering Miruewhat all enlargeU. (Oriciual.) towanl the front. See Fig. 14. Egg, as seen in the body of adult female specimen, is elongate oval. Millinjetreti. Length 75 10.90 ^^'•^tli 2^ to .33 Head: Length ; llJto.ltj Width ,f, Thorax : Length H, "^'•'•th 1 :! to. 15 Abdomen : Length r,(, ,„ ,;„ Width. .'-'■^ to .33 The species ajjproaclR's the acanthopm, resembling it in the form of the sternal i)Iate, the character of the legs, and the general form of the body. It differs, however, in having the sternal plate le.xs narrowed posteriorly, more obtuse, or even truncated in front ; more tlecidedly still in the form of the head, which is longer and less excavated for the insertion of the antenna'. It is also smaller, and the egg, if we may .jiidgti by what we can see through the walls of the female, is more elongated. , It has been collected from the white-footed or deer mouse, Hesperomys Icucopus, at Ames. Iowa. 27 LOUSE OF iHE GROUND SQUIRRELS AND CHIPMUNK. {II(cmatopinvs suturalis, ii. sp.) Body short, broad ; color, golden yellow. Head oval, rounded and dellocted in front ; a largo chit- inons ring inclosing the base of tho rostrum ; a very dis- tinct transvers(> .suture behind tho autennie ; sides slightly convex; lateral angles obtuse, without hairs; posterior angle acute, and passing well back upon the thorax; an- teunu' sin'ole, located anterior to tho middle of the sides; joints nearly eijual iu size. Thorax short, convex at sides, widest behind, sternal plate nearly circular, sur- face roughened; anterior and middle legs slender and nearly equal in size ; claws slender and sharp; posterior legs very thick, claw strong aud broad. Abdomen short, ovate, broadest near the front, sutures inconspicuous, hairs long ; some of those on sides and posteriorly very long. Males ai.d females are very similar, and distin- guishable only by genital armature of male. Fio. 15. Scematopinus sutu- ralis : a, dorsal view ; b, head ; c, sternal pUite ; d, postfiior leg; c, terminal segments, male; all enlarged. (Original.) Millimetres. Length 75 to .80 Width 3.5 to .40 Head : Length 27 Width 13 Thorax : Length 13 Width 18 Abdomen : Length 45 to . 48 Width » 35 to. 40 This species i.s particularly well marked hy the general form of the body and evspecially by the conspicuous transverse suture back of the antenu;x\ It differs further from most of the species in the genus in having both the anterior and middle legs slender and of nearly the same size, while the posterior legs alone are especially modified as clasping organs. Although we have not seen Middendorf's description and figure of H. la'viiisculus froui SpermophiJus eversmanni, there can be scarcely a possi- bility of this being identical with it, since this differs in almost every particular as compared with the diagnoses of that species given by Giebel and by Piaget. We there'^ore describe it without hesitation as a new species. It has been found plentiful on SpermophilusfranJilini and S. 13-lineatus at Ames, Iowa. An immature specimen from Tamias striatus iiresents the characters of the species so i)lainly that there can be little doubt that it is identical. 28 H^MATOPINOIDES. Nov. Gen. Antenna- comi)o.sed Of three joints, terminal joint deeply excavated on the posterior side ; abdominal negmentn at lateral marL'in.s broadly chitmons with a strong tubercle and a semicircular plate above and be- low lapping over the chitinous portion of the succeeding segment. SUCKING LOUSE OF THK POCKET GOPHER. {Hwmatopinoules squamonus, n. sp.) Body oblong, broadly flattened; general color, dark yellowish. Head small, longer \Jh .-v^r^??^*^^" ^'™''*^' """""■'>' roiiuded in front, widening be- ^^ '^m^ a. /Jv^^' '"^ ^'"'^ ""^^°"*'='***'''''^ '*"g'^"«»'>'^ed, posterior \)d. \ l*^ ^^TjOj?*- '"=""g'° acutely poiutedbeneatb, with two large hairs V^y >:^-<, ^vW^ ««t between the bases of the antenna- and directed T'^'^W^ .^fe?^V outward; autennie composedof but three joints, these /y^fe *\^^S*V^ ''•"'"« "fii'l.v etjiial in size, the first short, stout ; the V^ M^'^-'T^ tl'ird longest and with a deep excavation on the fM f i/r""~rrA Pf'stt-rior side. Thorax small, broaj:th Width ' y* Abdomen : " Length Width " ^ ••• ----- __ r^Q AntenniB, leucth . *■ 10 ^ 29 This species departs so remarkably from others of the group that it seems necessary to create for it a new genus. The most important characters and those which seem of generic value are the three-jointed anteniue and the semicircular plates on margins of the abdomen. The sternal structure is also different. In general aspect, however, it ap- proaches the genus Ilii'matopinus. Two si)ecimens, both females, collected from the pocket or pouched gopher, Gcomys bursariuSy at Ames, Iowa. ORDER PSEUDOXKUROITERA. SUBORDER MAJ.L01'IIA(rA This group embraces all the biting- bee iiifestiiiy birds and mammals. They are very distinct, indeed, from the preceding group, tbougli fre- quently phiced with tliem under such unnatural divisions an Anoplura, Pedictditu's, etc. The bodies are usually hard and horny and much flattened. They possess mandibiilate mouth i)arts adapted to cutting,' and biting the hairs, feathers, ej)idernial scales, or excretions on the bodies of their hosts. They are said also to have a suctorial organ by means of wiiich they may at times draw blood from the host animal. The mandibles are situated in most forms underneath the head and near the center, the clypeus projecting and forming the most anterior portion of the head. The labrum is present and the maxillary pali»i are i)rominent in a part of the order. Tiie eyes when visible are located back of the antennai. Tiie antenna} are five-joiuted. excej)t in Trichodectes. The thorax is generally narrow and frequently but two divisions are appar- ent. The legs are adapted to clasi)ing (Pltihpterid(v) or to running (Liotheid(v), the tarsi in the first case being short and fitted for clasp- ing against the tibia-, and in the .second ca.se being long and i)rovided with two claws well adapted to riinuiiig. Tiie members of the first division occur on both mammals and birds, those of the second, ex- cept Gyropns, are limited to birds. Wings are entirely wanting and the abdomen contains nine or ten .segments and is usually oval in shape. In life history this group agrees with the preceding. The eggs are glued to tiie hairs or feathers of the host animal and open with a cir- cular cap or lid at the free end. The larv;e are le.vs liattened, shorter in proportion, and without the hardened parts common to the adults covering a part or all of the .surface. The length of life and rapidity of multiplication has not been determiued for any species .so far as we know, and tiie habits of the insects make any such determination a mat- ter of great ditliculty. The effect of these upon the liost auiinal may l)e less iiiqiortant than that of the suctorial lice, but judging from ca.ses where serious results follow from the efforts of the animals to rid them.selves, and from the known irritation due to the crawling of anything among hairs and ft'atliers, it can not be doubted that they cause much inconvenience to the creatures which become their involuntary supjiorters. .10 31 Tlie order may ensily be separated into two fiimilies upon characters a part of which have already been mentioned, namely, the structure of the mouth parts and the feet. The latter, which is the most easily ob- served, can easily be told from the niodo of locomotion, the members of the first proup bein^' incapable of rapid movement but well adapted to clinging- to the hairs or feathers, the latter ruuuing freely and swiftly but having less power to clasp. FAMILY PHILOPTERIDiE. Infesting horses, cattle, sheep, dogs, cats, chickens, turkeys, pigeons, ducks, etc. The members of this family have the mouth parts on the under side of the head. Mandibles strong; maxilla* wanting ; tarsi short, of one or two joints, the claw meeting a tooth at the apex of the tibia; meso- thorax apparently wanting; abdomen having nine segments. The group is a large one, the species being so numerous that scarcely a bird but harbors one, and sometimes several, species of this family. The genera are, for the most part, easily separated ; Docophorus, by the presence of a movable appendage (trabecula) in front of the anten- nae ; Xirnuis, by the piesence of an immovable tooth in front of the antennie and the generally entire terminal segment of the abdomen of the female. Ooniocotcs and Gouioths are x'obust forms, usually with large heads strongly curved in front ; they differ by the former hav- ing simple antenna' in both sexes, while in the latter they are modified in the male. The former are also usually much the smaller. In Lipeu- rus the body is generally long and slender, the antennse of the males large and often with a complicated structure, while the terminal seg- ment of the female is bilobed. The species of Oniithohius are white or transparent and especially characterized by having sbarp curved appen- dages meeting in front of the clypeus. Trichodcctes is at once known b}' the three-jointed antenn;^. Other genera of the family do not contain species Infesting domestic animals, and hence need not be noticed here. LOUSE OF DUCKS AND GEESE. {Docophorus icterodes Nitzsch.) This species has been recorded from so many different members of the order of birds containing the ducks a^nd geese that it may be con- sideied as common to the order. It was described by Nitzsch in 1818 and has been mentioned by most writers on parasites since that time. It is about 1 millimetre in length, and has the head and thorax of a bright reddish color wi h darker bands. The abdomen is white in the center, with broad, dark reddish, horny bauds at the sides, with a darker spot at the margin. THE'LITTLE HKD SWAN LOUSE. (Docophorus eygni Denny.) Notwithstanding the ajjparent abundance of this species it does not api)ear to liave been described before 1842, when it was described and figured by Denny (Monog. Anop. Brit., p. 95, PI. 1, Fig. 1), but ac- cording to this author it was figured by liedi (Exper., PI. ix, fig. inf.), whicli would carry its recognition back L'oo years. It is coniiuon on both the wihl and domesticated swans, and J>enny states that he has received it from the beau goose. Jt is a millimetre in length, of a robust form, the head decidedly rounded in front, except at the ex- treme tip, where it is slightly excavated. In color the head, tiiorax, and legs are bright reddish brown, while the al)domen is white in the center and dark brown at the sides, the brown occupying bird plate- like ])ortions at the side of each :;egment. Docophoru, T''*' *'"'"' ''"'^ the distribution of these plates are (Original.) showii JM t lie accouipauying figure. CHICKEN LOUSE. {Goniocotes holof/aster Nitzsch.) This common species of the domestic fowl was recognized by DeGeer and by Nitzsch. It has been generally confused with another form, or rather another larger and perhaps more common form has been gene- rally accepted by Kngiish and American writers as the hulogaster, this being due to the de.scription and figure given by Denny, who does not seem to have seen the true holoffaster, but descril)ed for it. according to Piaget, an immature spec-imen of the larger species since described as Goniocotes abdominalis Piaget. Tiie //o/w^rt.s/^T is only about one millimetre in lengtli. whereas the ab7»iunlis. rilirKEN I.OTSE. {Goniocotts (tlxloniiiKilis IMaget.) This is ])robably fully as common as tlie preceding species. As already stated, it is the form which has been c»)mmonIv referred to in 33 English and Aiuericau works as the Goniocotes hologastcr, which doubt- lessacconnts for its not having been described untilquite recently. It is a large, conspicuous species, about 3 millimetres ill length, quite broad, the head nearly circular in front and constricted behind, tlie thorax small, the abdomen widening to near the end and terminating abruptly. The head, thorax, and legs are yellowish, with dark mar- gins and spots; the abdominal segments bear lateral whitish fasciie bordered with black. Fig. u.-oonio- ^^ appears to be much less common than some other eotes abdominaiu- gpecics of cliickeu llcc, notably Menoiion pallidum and hologastcr of r- • iw Denuy (After LipeUVUH mrmblhs. Denny). PIGEON l.OrSK. {Goniocotes compar Nitzsch.) A species which has been familiar for a long time and generally common, along with other lice, on domestic j^igeons. It is a rather small-sized species, a little more than a millimetre in length. The head is rounded in front, narrower be- tween the antenuiti, broadest near the posterior margin. The thorax is nar- row, the abdomen in the male broad- est near the i)osterior end and squarish behind, in the female more regular and broadest near the middle. It is whitish, with a rather broad brownish margin, from which prolongations extend inward upon the sutures. Fio. \9.—Goniocotcg compar. (Original.) Fig. 20.— Go jiio- cotes rcctangulatua. (After Piaget.) 21122— Xo. 7 THE PEACOCK GONIOCOTES. (Goniocotes rectangtdatus I^"itzscb.) This species which shares with the Goniodesfalcicornis the hospitality of the peacock, was first described by Mtzsch (Germar's Mag., in, 294). It is a small species, about the size of the holoffasier, which it resembles quite closely. The head is squarish, .somewhat rounded in front, while the thorax and abdomen are short and oval. While less noticeable than the larger species associ ated with it, it is probably no less abundant. 34 BURNETT'S GONIOCOTES. {Gotiiocotes burnettii Packard.) A si)ecie8 described by iJr. A. S. Packard (Am. Nat. vol. iv, p. 94) is apparently much less common than some of the other species com- mon to the sadly infested barnyard fowl. According to Dr. Packard's description it diflers from tlie G. hologasier of Kuroi>e, which lives on the same bird, in the short second joint of the antenna-, which are also stouter, and in the long head, the clypeus being much longer and more acutely rounded, while the head is less hollowed out at the in- sertion of the antenna'. The abdomen is oval and one- half as wide as long, with transverse, broad, irregular bands along the edges of the segments. The mandibles f"', '^~"7'uHiv sliort and straight, two toothed. The body is cotes biirnetin I'ack. "^ (Aftei Packard.) slightly ycUowisli and variously streaked and baude^l with pitchy black. GONIOCOTES OF THE PHEASANT. {Goniocotes chrysocephalus Giebel.) This parasite of the ])heasant was first described by Giebel in 1S66 under the name of Goniocotes colcMci which he afterward changetl to the above. It is said to resemble the hologanter which att'ects the do- mestic fowl. THE CHICKEN GONIODES. (Goniodes dissimilis Nitzscb.) Although this species has been known for a considerable time, it seems not to have been abundant enough to receive fiequeut notice. Denny says: "1 suspect this species of being of rare occurrence, as the only specimen which I have examined was conununicated by Mr. Thompson from Belfast, and that being a female, 1 am precluded from describing the character- istics of the male." It is a large species, 2 to U.^ millimetres in length, and Denny describes it as tawny in color, smooth, shining, and pubescent, with large subcjuadrate head, a short transverse prothorax, and a large abdomen with the side markings conllucnt, and the sutures with deep chestnut bands. It has not as yet been recorded for this country that we are aware of, though Ftr.n.-ooniodftdunmai$. in all i)robabirity it occurs here as well as j,, Europe. p^- \ 35 LOUSE OF THE GUINEA FOWL. (Gouiodes nuniidianus Deuuy.) We have only the record given by Deuny (Mouog. Aiiop. Brit., p. 163, PI. XIII, Fig. 7) as authority for tliis species. His diagnosis of the species is as follows: " Pale straw-yellow, shining and smooth, margined with black ; head snborbicular ; abdomen acuminate, with pitchy brown, interrupted transverse bands." He states that " the only speci- mens of this species I have seen are two males, which I took from oft" a pintado (Nitmida meleaf/ris).''^ We have not had the opportunitj' to search for this species and can not say whether any effort has been made in this country to obtain parasites from the guinea fowl. It is most likely that a careful examination of a number of the fowls would furnish examples of this species and possibly still others not yet recog- nized. THE PIGEON GONIODES. (Goniodes damicornis Nitzsch.) According to Giebel this species was first de- scribed bj' Kitzsch, and his reference is "Zeit- schrift f. ges. Naturwiss., 18G6, xvii 119." It is a rather large species, a little more than two ] millimetres in length and of a bright-brown color. The head is very much rounded in front and strongly angular behind. It occurs only on i)ig- eons, but upon these appears to be rather com- mon, though not yet met with in our own collec- ting. Fig. 23.— Go7iiodes damicor- nu. (Original.) THE LITTLE PIGEON GONIODES. {Goniodes minor Piaget.) Piaget (Les Pediculines, p. 256) has described as a distinct species, under the above name, a form quite similar to the preceding but smaller and presenting some differences of the antenna^ and form of the head. According to this author it is found on the domestic pigeons and also on Cohnnha tigrhia, C. risoria, and C. bitorquata. It has not to our knowledge been recorded in this country as yet, but is likely to be found along with the other forms. 36 LOUSE OF TUKKEY. {Goniodes styli/er Nitzsch.) Nitzsch describes this species inGerniar's Magazine (in, 294), and it Las been frequently mentioned since tiiat time. It was also described by Schrank under the uame of Pediculm meleagris (Faun. Ins. Aust., 504). It is a larjje species, 3 millimetres or more in length, and quite readily dis- tiugnisliedfrom other common species by the hind angles of the head, which are extended backward into long styles from the ends of which extend strong bristles. The thorax is an- gular with a black margin and the ab- domen is i)ale with transverse bands of dark color. The species probably ha> a distri- bution equal to that of the turkey itself, and with the other species com- FlO.U.-Goniodes,tyli/creul^r^ed: a, month '"*^" ^^ ^^'^ ^^'^^ render it pretty parts I 6, antenDa). (From Vt-rrill, afterCuvier.) thoroughly illfcsted. THE PEACOCK GONIODES. ( Goniodes fakicornis Nitzsch. ) This large and common species appears to have been first recorded by Kedi, who figured it under the name of Pulcr pavonh. Since that time it has engaged the attention of Linna-us, Frisch, Olfers, Fabricius, Stephens, Schrank, Nitzsch, Bur- meister, Stewart, Panzer, Denny, Giebel, Piaget, and numerous other writers, who have described, figured, and discussed it under one name or another, from which we would infer that it must have been one of the most common and frequently met with of any of the parasites of our domesticated fowls. It is a large species, 3 to 4 millimetres in length, of a bright reddish yellow color, with a large head the hind angles of which are acute and prominent. r,^""jrfurDli^ The first joint of the antenna in the male is large and bears a prominent tooth. The abdomeu is broad, light yellow, with prominent transverse lateral bauds extending nearly to the middle line. 37 THE PHEASANT GONIODES. ( Goniodes colchieus Denny.) This species is not likely to prove of any special interest in this coun- try, and we will simply mention it and repeat the diagnostic description given by Denny : " Bright chestnut-yellow ; bead subquadrate, temporal angles obtuse, thorax with a broad ferruginous margin ; abdomen pale, yellow-white, nearly orbicular, each segment, excepting the first and last two, with a pitchy black arcuate fascia." He refers this species to the insect mentioned under the name of Pediculus phasiani by Fabricius, with a question as to their identity. GONIODES GIGAS. Professor Comstock, in his Introduction to Entomology, page 86, names this as a parasite of the hen, but he states no authority for the species and we are unable to find any other reference to it. LIPEURUS OF THE CHICKEN AND PHEASANT, ETC. [Lipeurus heterographus Nitzsch.) This species, first recorded by Nitzsch, would appear from the writ- ings of European naturalists to be rather common, but it has not to our knowledge been taken in this country, a fact which may be due rather to the little attention that has been given to collecting these in- sects in this country than to their absence. According lo the figures given by Piaget, it difters decidedly from the rariabilis, with which it is most likely to be confused, in having the head rather narrowed in front instead of inflated, and the body is much stouter. Besides occurring upon the common domestic fowl, it is said to occur upon pheasants of certain si)ecies. LOUSE OF THE GUINEA FOWL. {Lipeurus numidcc, Denny.) Denny described this species under the name of Nirmus numidce, but Piaget refers it to the genus Lipeurus. It is characterized by Denny as " livid yellow, shining and smooth ; head subpanduriform, lateral margin black ; abdomen with two fuscous interrupted dorsal fasciae." As he states that he found " two specimens," it would appear not to have occurred in great abundance. 38 LOrSE OF THE SllELDUAKE. (Lipeurun tadonuc Denny; Lipeurm lavteua Giebel.) Denny tlescribnl tlii.s species from .specimens taken from the shel- drake, and cites also a manuscript name of Leach, Ornithobiustadormv, which lie assumes to be the same and which applied to specimens in the British Museum. Tiie species was later described by (liebel with the name lacteu8, though heat the same times quotes Denny's name without statinlaciii^ nwAvx hanUu» the form which all other anthors refer to haculnt, and rcforriiifj to hacitlus a form not soji.t rated l)y other authors, but which he de- scribes as ditVereiit from the other form. Itjseeiiis undesiral)le to add names without a more ih'cided dilVerence in form, and we agree with Piaget in uniting both under the old name. 39 So far as known, this i.i)ecies is confined to pigeons, and there seems no danger of their being transmitted to other fowls with which they may associate. Piaget states that he has fonnd the females astray upon a Stdn aiha, upon a I'otanus (jlottis aiKl upon a Charttdrius minor, only in tiie last case the appendages of the cly[)eus wanting ; the last segment had the lobes more acute and the dimensions were less. Denny described, under the namesof iV' tr»iMS claviformis, what appears to be the young of this sjjecies, though he gives measurements for males and females, which would seem to indicate that he was able to see the sexual organs. In all thesi)ecimensweliaveexamined that agree with his figure and description of this form wo have been unable to discover the genital organs, wliichmakes it appear thatthey are immature, and they are in all cases associated with the baculus, with which they seem to agree in all structural characters. The body is shorter, the markings less distinct, and the rudiment of a trabecula is more prominent than in the adults. It seems best, therefore, at least till well marked males and females can be found, to consider these as immature hncnlus. Piaget does not discuss this matter, but in his index to the " Les Pediculines " he gives N. claviformis as a 83-nonym of L. baculus. k THE SQUALID DITCK LOUSE. {Lipeurus sqnalidus Nitzsch.) According to Denny, this species was referred to by Fabricius under the name of Pcdicnlvs anatis, and it seems extremely probable that it was referred to under other names by ujany of the early writers, since it is so common on many species of ducks that it is hardly possible that it should have been entirely overlooked. The first defi- nite reference to it, however, is the description by Nitzsch in 1818; and, more fortunate than some of the related species, this has been allowed to hold in all subsequent works, and so far as we know there are no synonyms for its specific name. It is a verj' abundant and common species and oc- curs on a great many different species of ducks, both wild and domesticated; indeed, so generally does itoc- cur on the difterent species of the genus Anas and re- lated genera that we may almost say that it is common to all species of the familj* including the ducks- It is quite characteristic in appearance, and not likely to be confused with other species on the same birds. It is about 4 millimetres (one-sixth inch) in length, elongate in form, and of a light yellowish color, /_ with dark border to the head, thorax, and abdomen, squniidu'i. (Ori'^in'li.')' 40 On the lattiT this border is broken mio a series of rjuadrate patches corresitonding with the segments. The young lack the definite mark- ings of the adults, but have nearly the same general outline of body. The annexed figure will doubtless enal)le anyone to determine with certainty as to specimens taken from ducks. (LipcuruH anuris (rurlt.) Under this head is recognized a species which is said to differ from the rtH.srr»s of Linmeus and other authors, which is i-eferred to jejttnis of Nitzsch. It was described from specimens taken from the domestic goose, but would appear to be rather a rare species since it has not been generally recognized. We insert it upon the authority of Piaget, who seems to consider it as unquestionably distinct from related species, though apparently in doubt as to the real form from which the descrip- tions were made. THE LIPEI'RUS OK TIIK GOOSE. {Lipeurus jijunuH Nitzsch.) It is geuerall}' accepted that Kedi had tiiis species in hand as one of the different parasites which he figured, and it has certainly been re- ferred to by Linnaeus, Albin, Olfers, and others, but the description by Nitzsch may be taken as the first strictly technical description that would separate it certainly from related forms. Denny records it as taken from the white-fronted goose, the Brent, the wild goose, and the beau goose, and Piaget adds the gray goose, Canada goose, domestic goose, and the agypthuH. It is evident, therefore, that it is generally distributed upon members of the goose family. We have not had .specimens in hand, but it is described as slender, pale yellow-white, with a pitchy margin, the first eight segments of the abdomen with quadrangular bands, and the legs dusky above. THE TURKEY LOUSE. (Lipeurus polytrapezius Nitzsch.) This, like the vdriahilis, appears to have been one of the earliest si)ecies to receive recognition, as Linnaeus cites lledi (Esper., t. II ; fig. L') with the name Pcdivulus accipitris, while he himself uses the name Pcdiculus mekagri(ii.s, and gives a brief description, which probably refers to this species. Authors have quite generally, however, followed the name given by Nitzsch, as above. It has, doul)tless, been common wherever this fowl has been kept and is one of the familiar species. It is of rather large size, 3 to 'M millimetres (an eighth of an inch) in 41 length, of an clonjrated form, having a pale, yellowish white color, and with a black margin around the body. The abdomen is long, and all the segments but the last are marked with a grayish brown trapezoidal spot on each side. According to Denny, "their mode of pro- gression is rather singular, as well as rapid. They slide as it were sideways extremely quick from one side of the fiber of a feather to the other, and move equally well in a forward or retrograde direction, which, together with their flat polished bodies, renders them extremely difficult to catch or hold. 1 have observed that where two or more genera infest one bird, they have each their fovorite localities; for, while the Goniodes sti/lifer will be found on the breast and neck of the bird, the Lipeurns jmlytrapezins will be congregated in numbers on the webs and shafts of the v, .yo t- i . Fig. iS.—Lipt'urus polytrapezxue. primary wing feathers." (After Piaget.) THE VARIABLE CHICKEN-LOUSE. {Lipeurtis variabilis Nitzsch.) This species appears to have been recorded as early as 1668 by Kedi, later by Friscli, unless these both refer to Menopon pallidum, and to have received » brief description by Liunajus {Fauna Suecica, No. 1960) under the name of Pedicidus caponis. The name by which it is now universally known, however, was given with description by Nitzsch in 1818. (Germar's Mag., iii, 292.) While no very extensive literature seems to have accuuuilated in reference to this particular species, it is of course included in the many articles referring to poul- try lice in general. It does not seem, however, to be so abun- dant as some of the other species infesting the common domestic fowl. It is about 2 millimetres (one-twelfth of an inch) in length, the body elongated, of a whitish color, and smooth and shin- ing. The margins of the body are black; the head is large, rounded on the anterior margin, and the whole appearance Isufliciently distinct from any of the species infesting the chicken, so tliat, with the aid of the flguie, there can be no Fic^^'xi difficnltyin distinguishingitat a glance. Denny says: "Com- peurugvana- mou ou the domestic fowl, preferring the primary and second- ary feathers of the wings, among the webs of which they move bilit. (After Denny.) with great celerity." 42 THE WHITE SWAN LOl'SE. {Ornithobius cygni Denny; Ornithobius bucephalug Giebel.) This large and handsome species was quite certainly recognized by Redi and figured by liiin and lias received frequent mention since. It is a consiiiouous species and appears to occur in great abundance on different species of swans, so that it is readily obtained. It has been recorded as occurring on the domestic and wild .swan of the old world as well as the musicus and lieicickii, and V we have tnken it in great abundance from the ^ common swan of this country, probably the Tiumpeter Swan. The body in this species is whitish, but so trans- j)arent that all the internal organs are easdy seen through the body walls. There are black points at the out( r hind margins of about four of the abdominal segments, as showu in the figure, and the last segment is dusky or nearly black. It is 4 millimetres long (one-sixth of an inch) and the body rather slender and decidedly flattene«l. Altogether this species seems to be almost as beautiful and as graceful in its movements as the bird whicii harbors it. Some of the specimens we have secured appear to contain blood, and while these parasites are not supposed to extract blood from their hosts it is possible that they may at times burrow deej* enough to secure access to the capil- laries or feed upon blood that may have exuded from wounds upou the surface of the bodv of the bird. Fig. 30. — Omithohiui ei/gni. (0n}:iiial.) THE LOUSE OF THE CAT. {Trichodectes subrostratus Nitzsch.) While it is possible that this i)arasite was referred to by Ctto Fabri- cius about the year 17S0 under the name of Pedicidus canis, the lirst certain reference to it appears to have been the description by Nitzsch in 1818. Since that time it has been referred to by nearly all writers on the common parasites of ani- mals, but so far as we know there has been no special description of the ditVereiit stages, and we must assume that there is no important departure from the liabits of i. species that are more thoroughly known. It is a little more than a millimetre in length and has much the appearance of the species occurring on other do- k,,,. M.-Tri. mestic animals, but is distinguished particularly by the form f>««ifctf mbro- of the head, which is quite pointed, and the under part of the 'l^'^' '°"^ 43 front of tbe head is hollowed out in a furrow about the size of a hair. The insect will often be found adhering by the mouth parts with a hair so closely held in this groove that it is somewhat diihcult to tell where the hair begins as separate from the insect. There is no record that we have seen that indicates its presence on any other animal than the domestic cat, and, judging by our own observation, it is only occasionally that cats become infested with it. When they do the usual remedies may be administered, es- pecially a washing with kerosene emulsion, after which the animal should be allowed to dry in a warm place, as the fur is so tine that they dry slowly. THE BITING LOUSE OF THE DOG. {Trichodevtes lattis Nitzsch.) Something over a century ago DeGeer mentioned a species of parasite on the dog under the name of Ricmuscanis, which prob- ably referred to this species, and another mention by Olfers under the name of Pedieulus setosus probably preceded the description by Nitzsch under the name which the insect has borne since 1818. Probably every one who has had much to do with dogs is aware to what an extent this i)arasite may mul- tiply and how troublesome it Is to this friend of man. vs;:.:....ia r i It is generallv believed that the lice are more trouble- x- oo^T^ , "^ • *I(i.32 — Trichoai'Cte$ some to puppies than to old dogs, and it is not at all latut. (After Denny.) unlikely that the insects migrate when possible from older to younger animals. In color this species agrees pretty closely with the other species and it is of about the same length as the cat louse, a little more than 1 millimetre, but it is much broader in proportion, being more than half as wide as long, and the head is short and the front but slightly curved. THE LOUSE OF THE BEAE. ( Trichodectes pinguis Nitzsch.) .Inasmuch as the common brown bear has been to a considerable extent domesticated, and indeed furnishes a means of support to a cer- tain class of people, it seems proper to introduce mention of its com- mon parasite here. The species was described by Nitzsch, and appar- ently later authors have done little more than quote his description. To what an extent bruin suffers from the company of his guests we are not aware, but they probably multiply upon him as on other animals and cause him the same amount of annoyance. It IS described as characterized by the form of the head, which is sub- quadrangular. It is nearly 2 millimetres in length. 44 THE LOUSE OF THE LLAMA. {Trichodecten breviceps Kudow.) lu some parts of South America tbe llama is a very important domes- tic animal, and consequently tUis parasite Las a place with the other species included in this work. This species was described by Kudow in 186G, but as we have not seen specimens we fuust leave it with the mere mention. It is said to be one millimetre in length and doubtless agrees closely with the other species of the genus in appearance. THE LOUSE OF THE GOAT. [Trichodectes climax Nitzsch.) Since this species was described by Xitzsch in the early part of the present century, it dot'S not seem to have receive than in some specimens observed. It is 4 to 5 millimetres in length. LOUSE OF THE GOOSE AND SWAN. (Trinoton conspureatum Nitzsch.) This species was evidently recognized at an early date, and is said to be mentioned by Sulzer under the name of Pediculus anseris. Nitzsch described it in 1818 under the name which has been universally adopted since, and it has received frequent meution since that time. It is very similar to the Trinoton luriduvi, but may generally be easily separated by the more diffuse coloring and its larger size, being 6 millimetres (3 lines according to Denny) in length. The two si)ecies are not known to infest the same kinds of birds. This species occurs on a number of species of geese and swans, and on one gull; according to Denny on the common domestic goose, on tW Larus canu.i, aud Cygniis bewicMi ; on Cygnus olor, according to Burraeister ; on C imisicus and olor, according to Piaget; and on Anser ruficoUis, according to Grube. While the Trinoton luridum we have found to be rather common in America, the conspureatum has not been met with, but the opportunities for examining geese have been limited. 52 LOUSE OF THE GOOSE. {Trinoton lituratum Nitzsch.) This quite distinct species of louse Las been known to entomologists since l.Sl.S, wlu-n it was described by Nitzscli. Denny, however, did not re- C0}iui7X' the ii|)jtlication of tije descrip- tion to tliis form and redescribed it under the name of Trinoton m/ualidiim. Later writers, however, have adopted the earlier name and there will probably ^L. be no further confusion rej^arding it. It is quite easily distinguished from the other species of Trinoton, being considerably shorter, smaller, and of a nearly white color. It occurs, according to Denny, on Anxer albi/rons, the domestic go»ise, and on Auan clypeata. It is also re- ferred to the Smew, and Piaget states that it is has been taken from Dendro- ,„ _ . , ,., , ,r. • ■ 1 , cynna arborea and Anser albi/rons. 39 -Tnnolon lituratum. (Ori;;inal ) ^•' •' THK PIGEON LOUSE. [Colpocephahnn lougiaiudum Nitzsch.) Nitzsch described this form, which occurs on pigeons, in 1818, but it was again described by Denny in 1842, who gave it the name of turbi- naium. Giebel retained both these names, evidently considering that they referred to distinct species, but Piaget has placed them together. The species would not seem to be so abundant as some of the other species of Pigeon lice, and it has not been found as yet on pigeons that we have had an opportunity to examine. It does not appear to have been found on any other birds, but has been taken from the common domestic pigeon and also the Turbot. THE SWAN LOUSE. {Colpocephaluni tninutttm Hudow.) Rudow seems to have been the first to recognize this species, though its occurrence upon the swan (Ctffjnus musicua) makes it rather strange that it should have escaped observation so long. It is a very small, species, as would be inferred from the name, and this may account in part for its not having been earli- r noticed. 53 It has not been recorded from this country, but may be looked for upon our species of swans, as the lice infesting these birds are generally widely distributed. LOUSE OF THE GUINEA PIG. {Oyropus gracilis Nitzsch.) The Guinea pig is perhaps a rather unimportant fac- tor among the domesticated animals, but it supports its due quota of parasites, nevertheless, and they require a brief mention at least. They are quite interesting in structure, differing largely from any of the species con- sidered hitherto. The one to first receive notice, and probably the one here given, was referred to by Schrank under the name of Pediculus porcelU, but Nitzsch, in 1818, described it as Gyropus gracilis, a name which has been used by all subsequent writers. It is referred to generally by writers on the subject and would seem to be a fairly common species where guinea pigs are kept. It has not been met with in this country so far as records show, but may be looked for with great probability of success in any place where guinea pigs are kept in numbers. Denny characterizes it as "elongate, pale, fulvous; yellow, finely pubescent ; head and thorax darker, seg- ments of the abdomen with transverse striated fascia at Fia.io.-Gyropus the sutures; tarsi and ungues very short and minute." ^^^11")'* * A- r A' I Fig. — 41. Oyropus ovalis. Denny ) (After ( Gyropus ovalis Nitzsch.) This is a form closely related to the preced- ing species, and observed and described by Nitzsch at the same time. It differs from that species in the much shorter and broader body, and is, according to Denny, "pale yellow- white; head and thorax bright ferruginous, the former transverse ; temporal lobes pro- duced ; abdomen large, nearly orbicular ; legs thick, the two posterior pairs curved ; ungues long, curved, and strong." The scanty hair of the guinea pig makes the application of washes for the destruction of the lice a very simple matter, so that wherever it is a matter ot importance there need be no difficulty in ridding the animals of the para- sites. 54 LOUSE OF THE POCKET GOPHER. {Trichodectes geomydis, n. sp. ) Related to the Trichodectes infesting the larger mammals is a species ■which has been taken in immense numbers from the Pocket Gopher (Geomys btirsarius), at Ames, Iowa. It was first taken in 1S83 and since then has been collected from a great number of individuals, and I have also seen specimens taken from the western gopher, Thomomys, in a collection of parasites kindly loaned me by Mr. S. K. Cassino. Body robust and rather hairy. Antennif very long, the basal segment enlarged, the Lead with a deep semicircular inciBion in front. //^ "'•^ The head is rather wider than long and the antcnn.e are sitn- /x "^ w ated sonievrhat po.-iterior to the middle and usually directed backward, very large and long, the joints nearly etjual in length, but the basal are much enlarged in the male. Head with a deep semicircular incision on the otherwise semicircular anterior border, the posteiior border slightly trilobed. Thorax short and broad ; suture distinct ; abdomen ovate, ta])eriug regularly and rapidly to the anal segment. Genital apparatus of male distinct. The hairs are distri1)Uted evenly over bolder of head and sideu Tic. i2.— Trichodectes of body ; four central segments of abdomen with transverse rows geomydu. (Original.) of stronger hairs or weak spines, and the lateral posterior angles of all segments but the tirst with long bristles. Length, 1 millimetre. The autennie in male and the deep frontal incision separate this from any species known to me, and I think there is no question as to its being a distinct species. INDEX. Ape, Louse of the, 10. Berr, Louse of the. 13. Body Louse, 9. Buffalo Louse, 18. Burnett's Goniocotes, 34. Camel, Louse of the, 12. Cat, Lousp of the, 42. Cattle, Biting Lice of, 47. Chicken and Pheasant, Lipeurus of, 37. Chicken Goniodes, 34. Louse, 32. Louse, The vari.vble, 41. Colpocephaluni longicaudum, 52. minutum, 52. Crab Louse, 8. Docophorus cygni, 32. icterodes, 31. Dog, Biting Louse of the, 43. Dove, Louse of the, 48. Ducks and Geese, Louse of, 31. 5L The squalid Louse of, 39. Elephant Louse, 22. Field Mouse, Louse of, 23. Flying Squirrel, Louse of, 23. Fox Squirrel, Louse of the, 25. Giraffe, Deer, and Antelope, Lice infesting, 12. Goat, Louse of, 44. sucking Louse of, 12. Goniocotes abdominalis, 32. burnetii, 34, chrysocepbalus, 34. conipar, 33. hologaster, 32. rectangulatus, 33. Goniodes colchicus, 37. damicornis, 35. dissimilis, 34. falcicornis, 36. gigas, 37. minor, 35. stylifer, 36. Goose and Swan. Louse of, 51. Louse of the, 52. Lipeurus of the, 40. Ground Squirrels and Chipmunk. Louse of, 27. Guinea Fowl, Louse of the, 35, 37. Hen, Louse of the, 50. Pig, Louse of the, 53. Gyropus gracilis, 53. ovalis, 53. Hxmatopinns acanthopus, 23. antennatus, 25. asini, 21. cameli, 12. eurysternus, 13. hesperomj-dis, 20. macrocephalus, 21. piliferus, 11, sciuropteri, 23. sp., 12, 22. stcnopsis, 12. sutnralis, 27, tenuirostris, 16. tuberculatus, 18. urius, 18. vituli, 16. Hxmatopinoides squamosus, 28. Hx-matomyzus proboscideua, 22. Head Louse, 9. HemipteraParasita, 7. Hen-Louse, common, 48. Hog-Louse, 18. Horse-Louse, The sucking, 21. Horses, Mules, Asses, Biting. Lice of, 45. Liotheidee, 48. Lipeurus anseris, 40. baculus, 38. heterographus, 37. jejunus, 40. lacteus, 38. numid*, 37. polytrapezius, 40. squalidns, 39. tadorna', 38. variabilis, 41. Llama. Louse of the, 44. Mallophaga, 30. Henopon biseriatnm, 49. fnlvomaculatum, 50. giganteum, 48. numid.Te, 50. pallidum, 48. pba?stomum, 50, productum, 50. atramineum, 49. Monkey, Lice infesting the, 11. Ornithobius bucephalus, 42. cygni, 42. Ox Lou.se, The long-nosed, 16. The short-nosed, 13. Peacock Goniocotes. The, 33. Goniodes, The, 36. (55) PeACOck LouBe. 50. PedicinuH B|>., 11. Pediculiilii', 7. PediculuH (.apitis, 9. coDSobriuus, 10. vestiiDi-Dti. 9. Pbeasaot. GouiocoteH uf the, 34. GodicmIph, 37. Menopoii, ."iO. Philopterida-. 31. Phthirius inguinalis, 8. Pigeon Goniodes, 35. Goniodes, The litUe, 35. Lipeurus, 38. Loutte, 33, 52. Pocket Gopher, Louse of the, 54. Sucking Louse of the, 28. PseadoDcuroptera, 30. Bodents, Sucking Lice infesting, 22. Sheep, The Louse of the, 46. Sheldrake, Loose of the, 38. 56 Sacking I)og-Loase. 11. Suctorial Lice, 7. Swan Louse, 52. The little red, 32. The white, 42 Tricbodect«a breviceps, 44. climax, 44. eqni, 45. geomydis, 54. latns, 43. limbatos. 44. paruinpilosos, 46. pilosus. 45. pingnis, 43. scalane, 47. spbafrocephalos, 45. Bubrostratns, 42. TrinotOD conspnrcatum, 51. Inriduui, 51. Turkey, Louse of, 36, 40. White-footed Mouse. Louse of the, 26. UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA llllll IN III lllll IIIL III Mil lllll lll{l|ll II llll ij 3 1262 09216 5876