170
On two New Mallophaga from the Kite
with the oblong abdomen. The body colouration is more or less chestnut
brown with somewhat darker head and thorax.
The head is broader than its length. In front the head is of the shape of
a trapezium with rounded corners. There are a number of setæ along the
anterior margin of the head, five to seven on each side of the median line.
Closely behind this row of setæ on the clypeus is a set of four long bristles.
Following this on the dorsal surface there is another set of very long bristles
which surpass all the others described above in length being nearly double
those of the second row. The two innermost bristles of this row are placed
in between the two bristles of each side of the second row. The anterior
rounded corners of the trapezoidal area of the head are devoid of bristles. On
the lateral margin, a swelling with five or six long bristles and a similar number
of smaller setæ is present. Behind the swelling there is a long bristle on either
side. Antenna is concealed and composed of four segments, of which the
distal segment is clavate. Eyes are hemispherical and projecting. Temples
are angular and projected backwardly having nine setæ marginally on each
side and two bristles internally on top of the head. The occiput is deeply
convex with a dark band marginally. The mandibles are sharply pointed and
the maxillæ are imperfectly developed. The maxillary palpi are prominent
and four-segmented.
The prothorax is free and somewhat roundish with a lateral depression on
either side. Posteriorly the prothorax has a much lighter area. Anteriorly
the rounded margin has an assemblage of some strong setæ numbering about
16 or 17 on either side. Laterally the prothorax has about six long bristles
on either side, and dorsally on the clearer posterior portion there are two
strong bristles. There is a median furrow running all along the prothorax
and this continues right within the metathorax involving two-thirds or more
of the latter. There is no trace of the furrow in the abdomen. The meta-
thorax is bilobed in front and concave posteriorly. It is narrower than the
head and furnished with long bristles laterally.
The legs, especially the third pair, are strongly developed and of dark
brown colour. The femora are somewhat longer than the tibiæ. Each femur
has two longitudinal rows of setæ of which the one situated towards the ante-
rior margin is composed of much longer setæ than those on the other row.
The tibiæ are arched and form a sort of a sharp heel at their junction with the
tarsus. The first tarsal segment is small and roundish ; the second tarsal
segment is long and curved and somewhat flattened distally with two strong
curved claws at the tip.
The abdomen of the female is oblong and composed of nine visible seg-
ments and bordered by unequal hair-like bristles. There is a row of long
bristles sub-marginally on the posterior face of each segment excepting the
first. The first abdominal segment is small, so is the eighth. The fourth and
fifth abdominal segments have the maximum width. The ninth segment is
rounded at apex with several long and fine bristles arising from it.
The species described here differs from L. titan (Piaget) a closely allied spe-
cies recorded from a kite, Milvus ætolius (ater) [Piaget, 1880] in its head being
broader than its length, in the absence of bristles on the corners of the trapezoi-
dal area of the head, in possessing more than four bristles in the lateral