Can. Entomol. Downloaded from pubs.esc-sec.ca by UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK - HARRIET IRVING LIBRARY on 07/27/11
For personal use only.

T H E CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST

APR., 1947

NEW NEAKCTIC CRANE-FLIES (TIPULIDAE, DIPTEKA) :P A R T XXVII1.
BY CHARLES P. ALEXANDER,
Massachusetts State College, Amherst, Mass.

T h e preceding part under this title was publisl~edin 19-17 (C~ln.Lnt., 78:
155-159). At this time I am describing four species of [lie gent14 Tt/nrla Erorri ,\rizona and California, the types being preserved in my collcrtictn evcept tvl~ereindicated to the contrary in the text.
Tipula (TrichotipuEa) prolixa n. sp.
Mesonotum brownish gray, the praescutum with four very poorly differentiated darker stripes; antennae short; wings wrth a strong brownish yellow
tinge, the prearcirlar field, costal bcrder and stigma more saturated brownish
yellow; macrotrichia in the outer ends of ce!Is R5 and M , ; Rs short, subequal
to R,+,; abdomen of male unusually long; male hypopygium with the beakof the inner dististyle long-produced, slender, the lower beak subbasal in position, appearing as a slender-sclerotized arm.
Male. Length about 16-17 mm.; wing 12-13.8 mm.; abdomen alone 12-1 3mm.; antenna about 2-2.2 mm.
Frontal prolongation of head yellow, relatively long but shorter than theremainder or head; nasus elongate; palpi obscure yellow. Antennae (male) short;scape yellow, perlice1 mrlrc tertacernts, flagellum dark brown; flagellar segments
simple or ~ i r t u a l l yso, t h c Ioi~gestvert~cilsexceeding the segments. Head above
obscurc brownish !ellow, p a y pruinose; a more or less distinct median browjl
line; rerticaI tubercle low and simple.
Pronotal scutum pale, sparsely pruinose; scuteliunl and pretergites lightyellow. Mesonutal praescutum with the ground brownish gray, with four very
poorly differentiated stripes, best indicated by narrow brown margins, the capillary median cne most distinct; posterior sclerites of notum brown, sparsely
pruinose, parascutella and katapleurotergite clearer yellow; postnatal mediotergite with a vague obscure yellow central line. Pleura yellow, more or less pruinose. Halteres with the stem yellow, knob infuscated. Legs with the coxae yellow,
sparsely pruinose; trochanters jellow; femora and tibae yellow, the tips more
infuscated, tarsi passing into black; claws (male) toothed. Wings with a strong
brownish yellow tinge, the prearcular field, cell Cu,, costal border and stigma
more saturated brownish yc:llow; veins pale brown. No squamal setae; relatively
numerous macrotrichia in outer third of cells R5 and it'l, especially the former;
no stigma1 trichia. Venation: Rs short, subequal to the second section MI+, or
to R,+,; R,+, preserved; petiole of cell MI, shorter than m; Cell 1st M , narrow
M , + , short, about one-third to one-half the basal section of M I + ,; m-cu on M,
shortly beyond the perpendicular origin.
Abdomen of male unusually long; tergites infuscated medially above,
paling to obscure yellow on sides, the outer segments, and especially the sternites and hypopygium more uniformly obscure yellow. Male hypopyzium having
the ninth terpte with a deep V-shaped notch, the lateral lobes with retrorse
blackened spinous setae. Outer dististyle moderately long, its greatest widthabout one-fourth the length, provided with scattered yellow setze. Inner dististyle with the beak long-produced, slender; lower beak subbasal in position,
appearing as a slender sclerotized arm, the apex subcultrate in outline; on sideof style above the lower beak u7it.h a low darkened flange; surface above thisflange and onto the base of beak with strong dark-colored setae.
Habitat. Arizona (Cochise County) .
Holotype. a , Silver Creek, Chiricahua Mts., altitude 4500-6000 ft., October 3, 1927 (J. A. Kusche) ; California Academy of Sciences, through Dr. Edward S. Ross, Curator of Insects. Paratopotype. $ . Paratype. a , T e x Canyo~i,
Chiricahau Mts., altitude 4500-6000 ft., October 8, 1927 (J. A. Kusche) .

Can. Entomol. Downloaded from pubs.esc-sec.ca by UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK - HARRIET IRVING LIBRARY on 07/27/11
For personal use only.

LXXIX

THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGISTh!l

T h e present fly is quite distinct from the other regional members of thesubgenus, differing in the coloration of the wings, elongate abdomen and structure of the male hypopygium. I n some regards it is more similar to certain Mexican species, such as Tipzrla ( T r i c h o t i p u l a ) ~ e l i g i oAlexander~~
and T. (T.) vultuosa Alexander, yet quite dis~inctirL hypopygial structure.

Tipula (kunrtipnla) biproducta n. sp.
Belongs to the zlnpudzca group, size medium (wing, male, 15.5 mm.) :general coloration brownish gray to gray, the praescutum with four darker brown
stripes; basal flagellar segments weakly bicolored; wings with the ground color
weakly infuscared, restrictedly patterned with darker brown and whitish subhyaline, the latter pattern in female more extensive and contrasted; ma!e hypopygium having the basist>le and sternite fused into a single structure, the outerportion of the former ilarrov.~edand pioci~iced into a powerful spine.
Male. Length about 17 mm.; wing 15.5 mm.; antenna about 5 mm.
Femni~L. c n ~ t halmur 1 mm.: rvinrr
n 18 mm.
Fror~tnlprol';;nZntir;n uf tlF;ttl rll:scure yellow in male, much darker aud
pr~linose1):~sallyin fentalc; ijasll.; s1lrn-t an([ stout; palpi in male with proximal
segments brownish yellor\', r l ~ ctcrminal one black-; i n female, basal segments
more infuscated. .:\r~teiin:~e(rn;:lu) wit11 proximal three segments yellow, succeeding segments obscurely bicolored, tile basal swellings dark brown, the outerportions brown, at tips elzn paler; outer segments more uniformly darkened;flagellar segments with rat11r.r Irrni1linent basal enlargements. Head brownish
gray, with a conspicuous nzrl,nt\*dark 1)rown median victa.
Pronotum brown to brnlt.nia11 g-ay, vaguely marked with darker. Mesonotal praescutum with the ground brownish gray (in male) to darker gray (female), with four darker brown stripes, the intermedite pair forming the lateralborders of the broad media2 ground stl-ipe, lateral stripes broader; scutal lobes
each with two brown spots; posterior sclerites of notum light brown or brownish
gray, with a narrow brown median vitta, more distinct on the scutellum. T h ecoloration in the female is dc?'ini~rI\~ r n j - c nilrlradsker. Plcura and pleurotergite chiefly pale brownish )-cll(~rv,;I l i t ~ l rdarker ant1 tr~orepruinose on thr
sternopleurite. Halteres with stem yello-rr. knol, Inore or less darkened and yariegated with pale. Legs with rhc cosae ob~crireyellow, sparselv pruinose; trochanters yellow; femora obscare !c.lImr-. t h e t i p r a t l ~ c rnarrowly brown o r bro~vnish
black, the amount subequal on all legs; tiijiae r,l,sr~~reycllnw, the tips very narrowly infuscated; tarsi a as sing into black; claws (male) toothed. Wings of malewith a weak brownish-tinge, the prearcular and costal fields more yellowed; av;rg~~cilarkcning in cc.11 3.f acl ininin: \mein C u and in outer ends of cell R, andR,; s ~ i g m nhrorvn, ils ceph;zlic ~ ~ n r t i rpaler;~nprestigmal obliterative area relatively cunspicunus, eq~~r-iall!.
armss cell 1st M,, involving the bases of cells M ,anrl Ji,:
posts tigtnal. l~riglltcnilig lcss cr lnspicuous; i n female, the pattern more
contrasterl, the t v h i ~ carras, rsl>ecinlIv thc band at cord, very wide and broadly
reaching t l ~ eposterior margin in cells A,: and M , ; poststigmal brightening more
conspicuous: cell R, more or iess whitened, as are the tips of the outer cells a twing apex; distinct white streaks along vein 1st A and more caudad i n the same
cell; veins h1-own, pale i n the brightenctl areas. Venation: Rs relatively short,scarcely t~zric-ni-clc; El+! cntire; rii~jelio~co! ((.I! ,\I, \ i l l cqual or the latter
longer (in male).
Abdominal tergites obscure yellow, with three broken stripes, the median
one forming linear hrawn streaks, rnrrst rvitlent on segments three to five; lateral
stripes rcpresentccl 1y darkcr t > ~still~ t smaller spots. hest indicated on the postcrior ring of sergire two and on h:~sal portions o l terqites three to five; laterallerral borders brnadlg, the po5tcrior mnrgins more narrowly yellow; outer s e ~ mttnts more uniformlv yellow: stcrnites yellow, the outer~nostmore discolored.
Male hypopygium when viewed from th~eside showin%the terqd canthi directed chiefly dorsad, their tips caudad; basistyle and ninth sternite completely fus.
-

Can. Entomol. Downloaded from pubs.esc-sec.ca by UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK - HARRIET IRVING LIBRARY on 07/27/11
For personal use only.

70

THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST

APR., 1947

ed, the produced apex of the former directed caudad and slightly ventrad. Ninthtergite with the canthi, 'as viewed from above, appearing as triangular plates,
the sri~allapica f ]mints i t ~ c i ~ n . u drhc
, rnesal edge with small setigero:~~tubercles
to p ~ ~ d u ac crougIlencrl appearanre; mcrlian lobe (subtergal process) extended
beyond the tips of the canthi, compresse~i-flattenedon dorsal portion, more expanrletl laterally IjcIow, che apex prod:~ced into pale shapeless membrane; latergl
proccsses very broad1y tri;tngular, t lieir tips obtuse. Outer portion of region ofbasistyle produced catirlacl i n t o ;i lmrzrcrful pointed spine, as described, provided
with scatrererl setae except clrr tllc more sclerotized outer third. Outer dististyleexpalmled hasally, tlis apical I--all slencler and attenuated, the more basal setae
unusually long, approximately two-thirds the length of style. Inner dististylewith the beak and lower bezk broad; dorsal crest very low; posterior cre.it
unusually small, separated rirom the end of the outer basal lobe by a notch;
style unusually glabrous; outer basal lobe 2 little shorter than the main bodyof style, the posterior end produced into a strong spine that is stouter than thesomewhat comparable one of the basistyle, its lip obliquely truncated, provided
with setae over alillost its entire lengih; an extensive area of dense delicate
setae; sensory area small l ~ r t t cn11ipar.r. consisting of from 15-18 pores. Eighth
stcrnite shen~tiing.the apcs I~roatllytruncate, with small oval lateral lobes thst
hear alx~ndantelongate rm~gl~cnecl
scme; the broad median area between thelol,es ri-it11 a Irinxe oo[ similar > c ~ ; ~i cr . ~;rile membrane ~,rirha stout dusky median
lobe, somewhat ar in nlilrntn and c)tlier species.
Habitat. California (San Diego County).. .
Holotype. 5 , Borego, Calii'ornia Painted Descrt, April 21, 1944 (1. L..
Sperry) . Allotopotype. ? .
T h e present 11) is r ~ ~ c ; i Itold\from all other members of the intpz~dztngroup bv ~ l l cstructure n[ tIlc malc. h!popygium, especially the produced basistyle, a unique rhararter in the groul~. I n other regards, it is most similar toslxcies such a% T I ~ I I I( II ,I. r t ~ ( l t i / ) ~ ~ lraruncz~latan)Alexander, T. (L.) d z v e r ~ ~ ~Dietz and T. (L.) l y r l l ~ r nDiet/.

Tipu1,a (Lunatipula) spinerecta n. sp.
Size medium (wing, male, about 17 mm.) ; mesonotuin gray, the praescutum with four brown stripes; antennae with scape and pedicel yellow, flagellum
black; wings whitish subhyaline, restrictedly clouded with brown, most heavily inthe outer ends of cells R, and R,; obliterative band before cord extending
from vein R to the posterior border, including all o f cell 1st M , ; abdominal tergites obscure yelloG, trivittate with brownish black, the middorsal stripe very
conspicuous; male hypopygium with the caudal border of tergite emarginatc,
the lateral lobes subacute; a median tergal lobe that terminates in a compressed
pale spatulate blade; basistyle with its dorsal margin produced into a very
powerful erect black spine.
Male. Length about 16-17 mm.; wing 16-17 mm.; antenna about 4.5mm.
Frontal prolongation of head obscure yellow, more infuscated on ventral
surface, the dorsal area light gray pruinose; nasus short and stout; palpi black.
Antennae (male) relatively short; scape and pedicel yellow; first flagellar segment black, its proximal end obscure yellow, remainder of organ black; flagellax
segments feebly incised; longest rerticils subequal in length to the segments.
Head light gray, the vertex with a narrow dark median line; vertical tubercle
very low.
Pronotal scutum gray, with three brown spots; scutellum above clear
Mesonotum gray, the praescutum with four brown stripes, thelight yellow.
intermediate pair narrow, especially behind, forming the lateral borders of awider more plumbeous central stripe; posterior sclerites of notum gray, eachscutal lobe with two slightly darker areas; scutellum and mediotergite gray, with

Can. Entomol. Downloaded from pubs.esc-sec.ca by UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK - HARRIET IRVING LIBRARY on 07/27/11
For personal use only.

LXXIX

THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGlST71

Pleura light gt-:~!, the broad dorsopleural region light\'ellow. FIaltere~wirh gtesl~ !ello~v. knob dark brown. Legs with the coxae
liyht gvav; trr_lcha~~tel-%v c l l u ~ \ -the~ ~ i l narrowly~sbrownish black; tibiae obscure
brtnvnish ) eiln~v,thc ti115 narm~vlr;clarl, brown; tarsi brownish black; claws
alenrler, torlthcd. kl'ing~ whit i c l i ru bIl? *line, restrictedly clouded with brown,
most lienvllv ro in outer cnrlc 01 cells X , and K , ; rcIls bchind vrin M more exteil~ivelvr louded wir :I paler I~rt,rr*r~,
v a r i ~ ~ l tbyd the q;rouncl, including s trca ks
at Flaw (IF .\rial cells ant1 alr>ng rein Irt ' 1 ; otrli~erativcI ~ a n dI>etore cord exlending from R to the posterior tjnrder, iricliidinq all nl ccll IF! h i 2 and 1~1ttr1101 cellM,; cells R '23 2nd R, e x t e n s i ~ c l jwhi~c-nerl:l~:~st-~rip;mal
brightening rrlativcIy
restricted; outer ends of cells I?: arid ,\I, ~vhitcncd;prcal-ci~larand rost;ll tielcl'r
more yellowed; veins brow::, paler in the brighteiiurl tielcla.
Sfll~iii~lal
wtac: , + , entirc; ,If,+,
and bafew. Venation: Rs long, nearly three tinlrc tn r ~ t R
sal section of M ,.+ , . subequal.
Abdominal tergites obscure yellow, with a conspicuous, almost entire
brownish black central stripe; sublateral portions of t c r ~ i t e qrvitll an even broader brownish black line that is more or less pruinose; la~crnltcrgal borders more
huity; 5rernirt.s ~ ~ r u i n o sihe
~ , rriitral portion more i n t ~ r ~ c n t c d Male.
hypop)xium having tht: nintlf t e r q i ~ cerltirci! separate from the ninth sternite; basi
~ t v l esep:rrxted Irnln rhc nil:t!~ gterniic by the ventral suture only. Ninth ter. caud;.l margin with a U-shapedgilr~transvcrcc, gent17 narrtw rrI nu t ~ v : ~ r t l l vthe
nntcll, rllc ~ u b t r n d i n ganqles, prod-~cc:l i r l ~ r lsubacute lobes; fiom the base oE thenotch extends a lnnrc slrndcr median arm that terminates in a compressed palespatul;3re I ~ l a r l c( h a t i~t l e n + r I ~setuliferous. S i n t h sternite with its appendage
unecliiaII\' bilnl~cd.the low clor~all n b c with coarse erect setae; lower lobe muchsmallcr. irs wtac vei v long. ~ x c c e t l i nthe
~ lobe in length.
Basistyle with theventral or outer elid s l i g l ~ t l v~ ) r n i l u r ~intot l an obtuse lobe; dorsal margin bearing ,I vcr? pursrrlul crrct h l n d $pino, directed dorsad. Outer dististyle ver!
broad at bxse, rnnrc narrowed trtttwardly, the apex obtuse; posterior margin
with coarse erect setae. Inner dististyle with both beak and lower beak blaclrened, the latter niolc pointed: heak lon~itudinallycorrugated; outer basal lobe
large and r o ~ ~ r l ~ i t u nIlatteiic.cl,~is.
erect, itc apex truncated or virtually so; sensorv area nu h(~d.rfr ; T ~ t ~ oppn\itrl r
the notch. Eighth sternite modera~elv
rheathing, rllc caudal m n r ~ i n~ l e a r l s truncate, with a low central cushior?
that bears numerous uer\ long \cllnw retae from conspicuous darkened bases.
H n bztat. California (Kern Count)) .
Holotype. $ , Cujarna i7alley, April 10, 1932 (E. P. Van Du7ee) ; California Academy of Sciences, through Dr. Rosq Paratopotypes. 3 $ a .
T h e conirwhat peruIiar armature. of the barjstvlc r ~ thefmale hypopvgiu~n;iquite sui1iricnt LO separate the prescnt 5pecic5 I m n :dl nthcrs that Ilave thc
sclerite produced in various manners. SimiIarl\*,the ninth rergitc and dististyles
show virtuallrr ar strnng chi\rarlers.
Tn some rcgardq, part iculariy the nint 11
trrgile anti oulcr dististyl~.a rewmblance tn mcmben ot the ~rnp?rdirngroup is~ u g g e ~ t rI>UI
d T hesitate to make a definite group reference a t this time.
a t ~ r o ~ vccntral
nline,

Tipula (Lunatipula) timberlakei n. sp.
Allied to modoc; size small (wing, male, 9 mm.) ; mesonotum gray, thepraescutum with four entire brown stripes; nasus short; antennae relatively shortin both sexes, basal three segments yellow, the pedicel clearer yellow, flagellum
I~lack;ltead gray \+-i~11a rcntral brown line; scutellum and mediotergite with asimilar ~TOTI'II stripe: legs brown, claws simple; wings with a brownish tinge,
varjegated wit11 darker hrnrvn ant1 whitish subhyaline, he latter incIuding asrnnlr post-stigma1 area arlrl a very hroad stripe a t and before cord, cell 1st M ,cli iellp whitened; tcr~ire5trivittate rvil11 brown, bternitrs with a fnnq single
111.nad strlpc; male hr.pn?ygium wi t l ~the caudal margin of tergite with a very
broacl V-shaped notrh. the margins glabrous; inner dististyle with the outer'Can. Entomol. Downloaded from pubs.esc-sec.ca by UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK - HARRIET IRVING LIBRARY on 07/27/11
For personal use only.

72

THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST

APR., 1947

basal lobe a long straight pale rod, its base more expanded; sensory area ar
extreme base of style; phallosome with the apophyses terminating in T-erylong andslender curved horns that are decussate at the midline; eighth sternite with thecaudal margin truncate, with a group of about 20 long yellow setae on either sideof the midline; ovipositor with the cerci compressed, expanded and tridentate
at apex; hypovalvae very deep and compressed, the tips obtusely rounded.
Male. Length about 9 mm.; wing 9 mm.; antenna about 3 mm.
Female. Length about 12-13 mm.; wing 9-11 mm.

Frontal prolongation of head light gray above, obscure yellow on sides
a t ~ t l beneath; nasus s h o r ~ ; palpi black, terminal segment relatively short.
.knrennae relatively short in bnrh scxcs; scape and first flagellar segment brownish
yello~rf,the pedicel clearer yello-rv, rernainder of flagellum black; flagellar segments norl let-ately incised; vcrticils shorter rhan the segments. Head gray, theantcriar vortex clearer gray; a central brown lint., narrowed to a point behind.
Pronotum gray pruinose, darker medially above, the scutellum yellow.
Mesonotal praescutum gray, with four entire brown stripes, the intermediatepair from three to four times as wide as the median ground vitta; s c ~ t a lobeslbiownish gray, the median area paler; scutellum and mediotergite gray with acapillary brown median vitta, less distinct on the latter. Pleura gray; dorsopleural membrane extensively yellow. Halteres brown, the bzse of stem restrictedly yellow. Legs with cnxae g a y pruinose; trochanters testaceous brown;
remainder nf I c ~ sthrown, the outer tarsal segments darker brown; tips of femora
and tibiae not or scarcely darker; claw5 slender, simple. Wings with a brownish
tinge. variegated rr~illrdarker bro~vrland whitish subhyaline, the brown including the stigma, a spot a t origin n i Rs ;111d a narrow seam over m-cu; the whitish
areac include a broad mark a t a n d belnre cord, extending from costa into thebases of cells M , and M,, most extensive in cells X and K,; cell 1st M , chief!),
whitened; a smaller whitened post-stigma1 area; prearcular and costal fields moreyellowed; veins brown, more brownish yellow in the brightened fields. Squama
with a few setae . Venation: SC, ending about opposite midlength of R.F;
R,+, preserved; cell 1st M , small; M,+, short, only about one-fourth the basal
sectlon of MI+,.
First abdominal tergite grayish pruinose, the succeeding ones orange-yellow, conspicuously trivittate with dark brown, the lateral borders broadly lightyellow, the caudal margins very narrowly gray; sternites dark brown, the later11[~ortiotlsesrcn.;i\-ely ~ P I I o w ; outer abdominal segments more extensively darkbrown, the npiccq o f the basistyles yellow. Ovipositor with the cerci compressed,
the tips expanded, tridentate, the surlace with sparse scattered yellow setae;
hvpox-alvae ver!, tlecp and cnml~rcsscd, he tips obtusely rounded. Male hyopygium I~avingthe ninth tergite transverse, the caudal margin with a very broad
V-shaped notcll, the latern1 lobes relatively narrow, the entire caudal border
glabrous. Ninth sternite without a clearly defined lobe or appendage. Outerdististyle much dilated at outer end into a spatula, provided with numerous
long coarse setae. Inner dististyle with the beak long-extended, with a blackened point or flange that extends backward as a ridge or carina to the low dorsal
crest; lower beak lacking; outer basal lobe a long straight pale rod from a more
expanded base, the latter on its lower edge with a few small setae; sensory rear atextreme base of style, composed of about 15 pores. Phallosome with the ~ x i a p o p hyses appearing as inrolled plates to form a somewllat cylindrical structure, 111~apex of each apophysis further produced into a slender curved horn, these tleLusate at the midline. Eighth sternite with the caudal margin truncate, on eiiller
side of midline with a group of about 20 long yellow setae, these barely decussate.
Habitat. California (Riverside County) .

Can. Entomol. Downloaded from pubs.esc-sec.ca by UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK - HARRIET IRVING LIBRARY on 07/27/11
For personal use only.

LXXIX

THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST

-r

b

1.

Holotype. 3 , Riverside, March 26, 1937 (P. H. Timberlake) . Allot>potype.
9 , March 26, 1935 (P. H. Timberlake). Paratopotypes. 1 ? , ia
copula with the type; 10 $ 9 , Aprii 1-2, 1935 (P. I T . Timberlake).
This interesting species is named lor the co!lector, Mr. Philip Hunterl parasitic Hyn~enoptera,to whom I am indebted forTimberlake, student r ~ theqeveral interesting crane-flies frrnn Cr:liForni,z. ?'he species to be most nearly allied to T i p u l a (Lir?,ntil,rlln) nlndnr Alexander and T. (L.) per.jldit ),aAlexander which are readily rnld l y the large ~ i y eand by all details of structureof the male hypopygia.
BOOK NOTICENORTHAMERICA,by Clarence Andresen Hubbard; 533 pp., i 3
FLEASOF WESTERN
photographs of Siphonapterists, 95 text figures, 1947. Iowa State College Pres,
Ames, Iowa. $6.00.
T h e ever present menace of plague in Western North America has given
an impetus, lacking in the East, to the study of the Siphonaptera. T h e term"Western" in this work is defined as T h e zone west of the 100th meridian.
Part One of this volume is introductory in nature, consisting of chapterson "Students of Western American Fleas and their Contributions," "The Medical Trnportance of Fleas," "Field ant1 Laboratory Technique," and "Anatomyof the FIea in Relation to its Taxonom!."
Under "The Medical Importancen l FIcas" tlic author 11av given a ~llrmtiarvof plague in Western America, andmr~rinet y h u s and tularavmia in h'or~li America. Reference is made to the,4lhr.rta records 01 p1;lpiie-inIe~tecIground squirrels in the period 1939-1942, [oa tularaemia-posi~ivcflea ant! to tularaemia-positive ticks in 1942. With regard
to the latter disease, although not mentioned by the author, it is interesting tonote that the R.C..A.hl.C. ~ ~ l a g rsurvej~e(19431, conducted in Western Canada, recorclq that the diqease rvas wide-spread in Alberta, captured tularaemap o r i t i ~ ea n i m a l s includinp rabl>irs, Richardson's ground squirrels, meadow andwhite-footed nlice, ant? a Franklin gull.
I n Part Two, sixty-six genera comprising some 230 species and subspecies
are dealt with in generic sequence suggested to the author by Karl Jordan prior
to the publication of the author's checklist of the fleas of the Pacific Northwest oE the United States (1940). Keys to families, genera, and to many species
are included. Under each species the author has ir~cludccl: tlescription, range,
hosts, records, and such bibliography ax has hcen built u p since 195'1 (the p r ~ ~ j ous bibliography having been thoroughly deal1 wit11 IN Jellison and Good (1942)
in "Index to the Literature of the Siphonaptera of North America").
A
useful and admirable feature of the s~lccificdescriptions is the inclusion nt
figures of taxonomic characters of soirie 250 species.
Th:
Part Three comprises a host index and a selected bibliography.
host index includes "Hosts of Western Rodent Fleas, and Fleas of Western
Carnivora, Insectivora, Bats, Birds, and Reported from Man."
This volume, which deals with twice as many genera and four times ris
many species of fleas as have been recorded for Eastern America, should be very
welcome to students of the Siphonaptera, and in addition should serve as ahandy reference to those entomologists who, from time to time, are concernedwith flea problems.

R. H . Ozburn.