A COLLECTION OF FLEAS FROM THE BODIES OF BRITISH BIRDS WITH NOTES ON THEIR DISTRIBUTION AND HOST PREFERENCES BY MIRIAM ROTHSCHILD Pp. 185-232; 3 Text-figures BULLETIN OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY) ENTOMOLOGY Vol. 2 No. 4 LONDON : 1952 THE BULLETIN OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY), instituted in 1949, is issued in five series, corresponding to the Departments of the Museum. Parts will appear at irregular intervals as they become ready. Volumes will contain about three or four hundred pages, and will not necessarily be completed within one calendar year. This paper is Vol. 2, No. 4, of the Entomology series. PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM Issued Febmary 1952 Price Ten Shillings A COLLECTION OF FLEAS FROM THE BODIES OF BRITISH BIRDS, WITH NOTES ON THEIR DISTRIBUTION AND HOST PREFERENCES By MIRIAM ROTHSCHILD With three text-figures SYNOPSIS Ten species of fleas (143 specimens) were collected from the bodies of 36 species (74 specimens) of British birds. There are single records of Ceratophyllus styx (2 specimens), C. hirundinis (10 specimens), C. columbae (i specimen), C. vagabunda (2 specimens), Nosopsyllus fasciatus (i specimen), and Orchopeas wickhami (i specimen). There are 2 records of C. rusticus (26 specimens), 3 records of C. garei (4 speci- mens), 32 records of C. gallinae (52 specimens), and 36 records of Dasypsyllus g. gallinulae (44 specimens). The geographical distribution and host preferences of C. vagabunda, C. garei, C. gallinae, and D. g. gallinulae are discussed, and in addition the ratio of fleas found on the body and in the nest of the host and the sex-ratios of the three last-mentioned species are considered. It is shown that fleas may be collected from the bodies of birds at all times of the year, and not only in the breeding-season. INTRODUCTION THE fleas discussed in this paper were obtained by Miss Theresa Clay and Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen from the bodies of British birds and have recently been presented to the British Museum (Natural History). The collection numbers 143 specimens, more than double the total bird-fleas taken from the bodies of their hosts (as opposed to nests) in the combined Rothschild, Waterston, and British Museum cabinets. It thus forms the finest collection of its kind in existence, and in an effort to throw some light on various interesting points which it raises, especially concern- ing the host preferences and distribution of the three commonest bird-fleas, all the British records of these species have been reviewed and are discussed in the following pages. It is still a general belief that fleas occur only occasionally on the bodies of adult avian hosts. As recently as 1949 O'Mahony writes: 'Two species of fleas have been collected, both from the bodies of the birds a rare enough circumstance in itself.' It is, of course, true that bird-fleas are essentially nest-dwellers, but in small numbers they occur much more frequently on the host than is generally realized, and this becomes apparent if birds are sealed in containers impregnated with chloroform immediately they are shot and subsequently searched. The material in the British Museum (N.H.), including the C. Rothschild and J. Waterston Collections, has been listed and the data arranged in Tables 2, 3, and 9 for comparison. Table 3 incorporates records generously supplied by various collectors (see acknowledgements) and additional information obtained from a thorough search of the literature prior to 1947. Until recently authors have tended to record the common species of bird-fleas in i88 A COLLECTION OF FLEAS FROM THE BODIES OF BRITISH BIRDS very general terms, which makes an accurate comparison of host-parasite relation- ships almost impossible. Thus, for example, Jeffrey (1922), who collected over a thousand fleas for Charles Rothschild, records Ceratophyllus gallinae 'in great abundance' from the nests of the Fowl (Callus domesticus], Sparrow-Hawk (Accipiter nisus), Starling (Sturnus vulgaris], and Long-Eared Owl (Asio otus) ; 'in large num- bers' from the Swift (Apus apus), and so forth. The actual number of positive nests is not supplied, and negative records are ignored altogether. Nor is it possible to arrive at the correct figures by examining the material in the Rothschild Collection itself, for many specimens have been given away and exchanged. Some records of material in the Rothschild Collection were passed on to other collectors for publica- tion. Thus in 1936 I passed all my records of bird-fleas, including those in the C. Rothschild Collection, to G. B. Thompson, who published a quantity of them in his paper 'The Parasites of British Birds and Mammals' (19376). Unfortunately, for some inexplicable reason, he omitted many of them and all the localities and dates. It should be noted that although he included the Honey Buzzard in his list, he did not enter any flea-species under this host ! This may have been due to some query raised at the proof stage concerning this very interesting record. The where- abouts of the nest was kept secret by the late Mr. Meade Waldo, who discovered it in Cornwall. The present paper includes all the records of Ceratophyllus gallinae, C. garei, C. vagabunda insularis, and Dasypsyllus g. gallinulae which I had passed to G. B. Thompson already at that time. The records of C. borealis with full data have been republished by me (Rothschild, 1948). Several of the Scottish records (specimens collected by F. J. Cox and others) were published by Waterston (1914), and consequently care has to be exercised to avoid duplication, since the data on the slides are not always the same as the original data as published (see Table 9). Some slight differences will also be found between the Waterston material listed in Table 9 and in the original papers published by Waterston himself. These discrepancies can be explained by the following facts : 1. A number of specimens must have been given away by Waterston himself, during his lifetime, to other collectors. 2. Some specimens are present in the collection that have not been recorded in print. 3. A few of Waterston's determinations were incorrect. These are principally records of Ceratophyllus fringillae, which on re-examination of the specimens proved to refer to C. gallinae. Two of these misdeterminations were noted by Waterston himself (1909: 227). 4. Some mislabelling has occurred, particularly when the original labels became illegible through age. Thus in one instance, Passer domesticus has been rewritten on the outside of the tube as Phasianus colchicus \ In Table 3, column 2, some specimens given away in exchange between 1935 and 1950 are included, as well as material at present in the collection. In Table 9 the specimens actually in the British Museum (N.H.) in June 1950 are listed. Except in the case of C. vagabunda, which is not a common species, records from the continental literature have not been taken into consideration. There are few A COLLECTION OF FLEAS FROM THE BODIES OF BRITISH BIRDS 189 fleas more difficult to separate than the closely related bird-Ceratophylli, and consequently a large proportion of such records would require corroboration before they could be used. Moreover, the available records for the three common bird-fleas in Britain are quite extensive. In this paper the host-nomenclature and the arrangement of the families of birds have been adapted from Witherby's Handbook of British Birds. Scientific names and authors' names are supplied in the tables, but sometimes omitted in the text, to avoid unnecessary repetition. In recent years many collectors name the subspecies of the bird host, but it has been thought better to adopt a binomial nomenclature in Tables 2, 3, and 9 because many of the subspecific names are open to suspicion. Thus, for example, several specimens of C. gallinae in the British Museum collection are recorded from nests of Corvus monedula monedula from Northampton and Norfolk in April and May ; since this subspecies of the Jackdaw only occurs in Britain as a rare autumn migrant, it is safe to assume that an error has been made either in the identification of the host or in writing out the label. In the case of the collection made by Miss Clay and Colonel Meinertzhagen the identification of the host can be accepted without question, so in Table i the trinomials supplied by the collectors are listed in column i. Jo Bossanyi and the author made a search of the British literature prior to 1947, including many of the minor publications. After that date only the principal entomo- logical journals have been consulted. There can be little doubt, therefore, that some records have been missed, but it is hoped that the list of authors and references will assist any future research concerned with British bird-fleas. Papers containing British records are starred. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The following collectors have kindly sent me lists of British bird-fleas from their own collections, many of which records have not hitherto been published, and I should like to thank them for their extremely generous help: H. Britten (45 records) ; R. B. Freeman (34 records) ; G. D. Morison (19 records) ; E. O'Mahony (57 records) ; G. B. Thompson (19 records) ; P. Tate (44 records from the Molteno Institute col- lection, most of which were determined by G. H. F. Nuttall or Charles Rothschild), and F. A. Turk (a number of negative records). I should also like to thank the follow- ing museums and institutions for information concerning bird-fleas: Marischal College, Aberdeen ; Department of Zoology, University College of Wales, Aberyst- wyth ; The Museum, Altrincham ; The Museum, Belfast ; The City Museum, Birming- ham ; The Museum, Blackburn ; The Museum, Bradford ; The City Museum, Bristol ; Sexey's School Museum, Bruton ; The Molteno Institute, Cambridge ; The National Museum of Wales, Cardiff ; The Museum, Carlisle ; The Chelmsf ord and Essex Museum, Chelmsford; The Department of Zoology, University College, Cork; The Museum, Dunfermline ; The Museum, Glasgow ; The University, Glasgow ; The Public Museum, Gloucester ; The Belle Vue Museum, Halifax ; The Educational Museum, Haslemere ; igo A COLLECTION OF FLEAS FROM THE BODIES OF BRITISH BIRDS The Union Lodge Museum, Hawick; The Tolson Memorial Museum, Huddersfield; The Mortimer Museum, Hull ; The Fitz Park Trust, Keswick ; The Museum, Ketter- ing ; The Museum, Kilmarnock ; The City Museums, Leeds ; University College, Leicester ; Littlehampton Museum, Littlehampton ; The School of Hygiene Museum, University of Liverpool, Liverpool; The Museum, Mansfield; Marlborough College Natural History Society, Marlborough; The Hancock Museum, Newcastle-upon- Tyne ; The Natural History Museum, Nottingham ; The Museum, Peebles ; The City of Perth Museum, Perth ; The Harris Museum, Preston ; The Department of Zoology, University of Reading, Reading; Denstone College Museum, Rochester; The Hert- fordshire County Museum, St. Albans; The City Museum, Sheffield; The Essex Museum of Natural History, Stratford; The Museum, Sunderland; The County Museum, The Royal Institution of South Wales, Swansea; The County Museum, Truro; The City Museum, Wakefield; The Museum, Warrington; The Museum, Warwick ; The Museum, Worthing. I am also extremely grateful to Jo Bossanyi for searching through 142 of the lesser-known journals and periodicals dealing with British Natural History up to December 1946, and to G. H. E. Hopkins and F. G. A. M. Smit for criticizing the manu- script and supplying records from the literature and unpublished data. G. P. Holland has kindly sent me the new record of C. vagabunda from Canada, and with his usual helpfulness and enterprise K. Jordan has succeeded in obtaining several species of bird-fleas from Russia, in order that he could himself verify interesting records of I. loff. My remarks on distribution have been criticized by O. W. Richards, and I am most grateful to him for his kindness. DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION The collection made by Miss Clay and Colonel Meinertzhagen is listed in Table i. Ten species of fleas were found distributed among thirty-six species of birds, and of these four are host-specific, and are dealt with first. TABLE i Fleas collected by Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen and Miss Theresa Clay from the Bodies of British Birds Host CORVIDAE Corvus c. cor ax L. Raven Species of flea Ceratophyllus gallinae Schrank (1803) Dasypsyllus gallinulae gal- linulae Dale (1878) C. gallinae Number and sex Locality and date Corvus f. frugilegus L. Rook (18 specimens shot) Corvus monedula spermologus Vieill. C. gallinae Jackdaw (36 specimens shot) Ceratophyllus vagabunda insularis Roths. (1906) A COLLECTION OF FLEAS FROM THE BODIES OF BRITISH BIRDS TABLE i (cont.) Host STURNIDAE Sturnus vulgaris zetlandicus Hart. Shetland Starling (135 specimens shot) FRINGILLIDAE Fringilla coelebs gengleri . Kleinschmidt British Chaffinch Emberiza citrinella nebulosa Gengler C. gallinae Yellow Hammer (56 specimens shot) Emberiza c. calandra L. Corn-Bunting PLOCEIDAE Passer d. domesticus (L.) House-Sparrow (35 specimens shot) ALAUDIDAE Alauda a. arvensis L. . Skylark Alauda arvensis theresae Meinertzhagen MOTACILLIDAE Anthus pratensis (L.) . Meadow Pipit Anthus spinoletta meinertzhageni Bird. Hebridean Rock-Pipit CERTHIIDAE Certhia familiaris britannicus Ridgw. British Tree-Creeper PARIDAE Parus major newtoni Prazak British Great Tit (66 specimens shot) 191 192 A COLLECTION OF FLEAS FROM THE BODIES OF BRITISH BIRDS TABLE i (cont.} Host Parus major newtoni (cont.) Parus coeruleus obscurus Prazak British Blue-Tit MUSCICAPIDAE Muscicapa s. striata (Pall.) . Spotted Flycatcher SYLVIIDAE Acrocephalus schoenobaenus (L.) Sedge-Warbler Sylvia n. nisoria (Bechstein) Barred Warbler Sylvia b. borin (Bodd.) Garden- Warbler Sylvia a. atricapilla (L.) Blackcap Sylvia c. cinerea Bechstein . Whitethroat TURDIDAE Turdus philomelos hebridensis Clarke. Hebridean Song-Thrush Turdus m. merula L. . Blackbird Oenanthe o. oenanthe (L.) Wheatear Saxicola torquatus theresae Meinertz. Hebridean Stonechat Erithacus rubecula melophilus Hart. British Robin Species of flea D. g. gallinulae D. g. gallinulae D. g. gallinulae D. g. gallinulae Orchopeas wickhami Baker (1895) C. gallinae . C. gallinae D. g. gallinulae C. gallinae C. gallinae D. g. gallinulae D. g. gallinulae C. gallinae . D. g. gallinulae D. g. gallinulae . D. g. gallinulae D. g. gallinulae C. gallinae C. gallinae D. g. gallinulae D. g. gallinulae D. g. gallinulae D. g. gallinulae D. g. gallinulae Number and sex 4$ \ 2$ Locality and date Buckinghamshire, July 1941 Reading, June 1941 Hampshire, Apr. 1941 Cumberland, Apr. 1941 Berkshire, Mar. 1946 Cumberland, Apr. 1941 Hampshire, June 1941 Hampshire, June 1941 Shetland, Aug. 1939 Shetland, Aug. 1939 Winchester, June 1941 Reading, May 1940 i $ North Uist, Aug. 1941 i (J Co. Kerry, Ireland, Oct. 1945 i (J Arran, Scotland, Oct. 1943 i $ Orkneys, Aug. 1938 i (J Scilly Isles, i $ Mar. 1943 i , Ashton Wold, Oundle, vi.26 (F. J. Cox), nest; < , Netherfield, Sussex, i.vii.oy (W. R. Butter- field) ; 8 , Lochgelly, 25.vi.og (J. Brown); 3 c?> 5 ? Arniston, Midlothian, 28.v.og (A. Bennett), nest; all B.M. ^14.517. FRINGILLIDAE Coccothraustes coccothraustes (L.) (Hawfinch) D. gallinulae, 1^,1$, Eaton, nr. Chester, 5.v.oi (R. Newstead), nest; Eaton, nr. Chester, g.v.oi (R. Newstead), nest; all Rothschild Coll. * Name of host as in Witherby and not necessarily as on slides. Thus Turdus musicus becomes Turdus ericetorum since Waterston's publications make it clear that the Song-Thrush is the host from which he obtained the specimens in question. Certain specimens from Corvus corone are merely marked 'Carrion- Crow'. f With regard to material in the British Museum, the registered number is appended in all cases unless the material referred to pertains to the Rothschild Collection (1923. 615). It must be explained that after Charles Rothschild's death in ig23 material continued to flow in to Karl Jordan, which he worked out and then incorporated in the Rothschild Collection. Although technically British Museum material, the author has made no attempt to separate it from the rest, since she feels that the date is sufficient indication of the fact that it was incorporated after the Rothschild Collection passed into the absolute control of the Trustees. J When it is known for certain if specimens were collected from the body or nest of the host this in- formation is added whether or not it is present on the slides or tubes. A COLLECTION OF FLEAS FROM THE BODIES OF BRITISH BIRDS 219 TABLE 9 (cont.) Chloris Moris (L.) (Greenfinch) C. gallinae, i , Colinton, Midlothian, ii.v.od (J. Waterston), nest; D. gallinulae, i $, Lothianburn, 26.v.o6 (?) ; i <$, i$, Arniston, Midlothian, 28.v.og (A. Bennett), nest; Arnis- ton, Midlothian, S.vi.og (A. Bennett), nest; all B.M. 1914.517 ; 2 9, Abbey St. Bathans, Berwick- shire, I4.v.oy (J. Waterston), nest; 3 $, Tresco, Isles of Scilly, I2.vi.o7 (F. J. Cox), nest; all Rothschild Coll. Carduelis carduelis (L.) (Goldfinch) C. gallinae, < $, < $, Redland, Bristol, 1917 (P. Stonelake) ; C. garei, 2 <$, 2 $, Fancott, nr. Luton, 1.44 (R. B. Laurence), nest; all Roths- child Coll. (B.M.). Carduelis cannabina (L.) (Linnet) C. garei, < cJ, < $, Newport, I.O.W., vi.io (H. G. Jeffrey), nest; Rothschild Coll. (B.M.). Fringilla coelebs L. (Chaffinch) C. gallinae, i (J, Ross-shire, i6.iii.34 (W. H. Pollen), body; Rothschild Coll.; 2 $, Arniston, Midlothian, vi.og (A. Bennett), nest; 3 $, Loudoun, Ayrshire, summer, 1909 (? collector) ; D. gallinulae, 8 , Tring, Herts., vii.o3 (N.C.R.), nest; Tring, Herts., vi.o6 (F. J. Cox), nest; D. gallinulae, i $, Windsor Forest, Surrey, 23.vi.28 (F. W. Frohawk) ; all Rothschild Coll. PLOCEIDAE Passer domesticus (L.) (House-Sparrow) C. gallinae, 3 <$, 5 $, Carie, Rannoch, 24.vii.o8 (F. J. Cox), nest; Rothschild Coll. (B.M.) ; < cj, < $, Mull, Argyllshire, 28.viii.i2 (L. G. Esson) ; Rothschild Coll. (B.M.) ; 8 $, 9 , Wilber- lea, St. Andrews, Fife, i8.viii.o8 (J. Waterston), nest; 3 $, Auchinblae, Kincardineshire, 27^.09 (J. Campbell) ; 4 $, 10 $, Kennetpans, Clack- mannan, 8-io.viii.o8 (J. Waterston), nest; I <$, Gorebridge, nr. Dalkeith, I7.vii.o6 (J. Water- ston), nest; 8 , < $, Colinton, Midlothian, 7.v.o6 (J. Waterston), nest; Colinton, Mid- lothian, n.v.o6 (J. Waterston), nest; 2 , Tring, Herts., 1901 (N.C.R.), nest; Tring, Herts., vi.o6 (K. Jordan), nest; Tring, Herts., ix.io (K. Jordan), nest; < , nr. Haylor, Ronas Voe, Cumberland, I3.vii.i2, nest; all B.M. 1914.517. Motacilla alba yarrelli Gould (Pied Wagtail) C. gallinae, 5 <$, 6 $. Kennetpans, Clack- mannan, 6.viii.o8 (J. Waterston), nest; 3 $, 8 $, Arniston, Midlothian, S.vi.og (A. Bennett), nest; all B.M. 1914.517; 2 $, Westfield, Sussex, 2.viii.o7 (W. R. Butterfield) ; C. garei, 3 , Bere Regis, Dorset, I5.vii.ig (H. Russell); < <$, < $, Dorset, vi.i4 (H. Russell) ; all Rothschild Coll. ; D. gallinulae, 2 (J, 2 $, Cowdenbeath, io.vi.o7 (J. Waterston), nest; i (J, i $, Aberdour, Fife, v.07 (J. Water- ston) ; i $, Arniston, Midlothian, 4.vi.og (A. Bennett), nest; all B.M. 1914.517. Parus coeruleus L. (Blue-Tit) C. gallinae, 8 Reigate, Surrey, I2.vi.oi (C. Reeves) ; all Rothschild Coll. Phylloscopus trochilus (L.) (Willow-Warbler) D. gallinulae, 2 <$, 3 $, Glencorse Pond, 3.vii.o7 (R. Cochrane), nest; i <$, 3 $, Arniston, Mid- lothian, 3~4.vi.og (A. Bennett), nest; all B.M. 1914.517; < <$, < 9, Tring, Herts., vi.28 (K. Jordan), nest; < (J, < $, Tring, Herts., vii.28 (K. Jordan), nest; all Rothschild Coll. Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Bechst.) (Wood-Warbler) D. gallinulae, < $, < $, Arniston, Midlothian, vi.og (A. Bennett), nest; B.M. 1914.517. Acrocephalus schoenobaenus (L.) (Sedge- Warbler) D. gallinulae, 2 $, Tring, Herts., v.34 (L. Goodson), nest; Rothschild Coll. Sylvia borin (Bodd.) (Garden Warbler) D. gallinulae, 3 (J, 4 ?, Arniston, Midlothian, 25.vi.og (A. Bennett), nest; B.M. 1914.517. Sylvia communis Lath. (Whitethroat) D. gallinulae, i $, Skokholm Bird Observa- tory (R. M. Lockley), body; Rothschild Coll. Sylvia curruca (L.) (Lesser Whitethroat) D. gallinulae, 9 $, 10 $, Tansor Wold, Oundle, v.o6 (F. J. Cox), nest; Rothschild Coll. TURDIDAE Turdus viscivorus L. (Mistle Thrush) C. gallinae, 1^,1$, Colinton, Midlothian, 24.v.o6 (J. Waterston) ; D. gallinulae, i (J, 6 $, Hillend, Fife, 25.v.o8 (R. Cochrane), nest; 2 9, Loganlea Waterfall, 25^.07 (R. Cochrane), nest; all B.M. 1914.517. Turdus ericetorum Turton (Song-Thrush) C. gallinae, i <$, Colinton, Midlothian, 7.v.o6 (J. Waterston), nest; B.M. 1914.517; i $, Nethercraigs, Paisley, 4.v.og (J. Waterston), joint nest with T. merula; B.M. 1914.517; < <$, < $, Loch Ranza, Arran Isle, N.B., vi.27 (F. J. Cox), nests; 2 $, Tring, Herts., io.xi.i4 (E. Hartert) ; all Rothschild Coll. ; D. gallinulae, 2 (J, Kinneff, Kincardineshire, I4.vi.og (J. Water- ston), body; i , Carie, Rannoch, 23.vii.o8 (F. J. Cox), nest; Rothschild Coll.; i $, Woodburn House, nr. Dalkeith, I2.v.o8 nest; i <$, 3 $, Colinton, Midlothian, 15.^.07 (J. Waterston), nests; Colinton, Midlothian, 26.vii.og (J. Waterston), body; i $, Nether- craigs, Paisley, 4.v.og (J. Waterston), joint nest with T. ericetorum; all B.M. ^14.517; i $, Armitage, Staffordshire, 1.33 (L. C. E. Stott), nest; 5 $, Tring, Herts., vii.igoo (N.C.R.), nest; Tring, Herts., I5.vii.ii (H. Mugford) ; 4 , Colinton, nr. Edin- burgh, 24.v.o6 (J. Waterston); Colinton, nr. Edinburgh, 25.v.o6 (J. Waterston); all Roths- child Coll. ; 4 cj, 2 $, Arniston, Midlothian, 3.vi.og (A. Bennett), nest; Nethercraigs, Paisley, 4. v.og, joint nest with T. musicus (= ericetorum) ; all B.M. igi4.5i7; i ^, i $, Tring, Herts., 222 A COLLECTION OF FLEAS FROM THE BODIES OF BRITISH BIRDS TABLE 9 (cont.) i5.vii.n (H. Mugford) ; i <$, Newport, I.O.W., iv.io (H. G. Jeffrey), nest; all Rothschild Coll. Oenanthe oenanthe (L.) (Wheatear) D. gallinulae, i $, Gluss Voe, west side, Olla- berry, 28.iv.i3 (J. Waterston), body; B.M. 1914.517. Saxicola torquata (L.) (Stonechat) D. gallinulae, < $, < $, Loudoun Estate, Ayr- shire, I2.vi.og (J. Gloag), nest; B.M. 1914.517. Phoenicurus phoenicurus (L.) (Redstart) C. gallinae, i $, Gorebridge, nr. Dalkeith (? collector), nest; <$,<$, Arniston, Mid- lothian, 25.vi.o9 (? collector), nest; D. gallinulae, 9 $, < $, Arniston, Midlothian, i.vii.o6 (A. Bennett), nest; Arniston, Midlothian, 28.v.og (A. Bennett), nest; all B.M. 1914.517. Erithacus rubecula (L.) (Robin) C. gallinae, i <$, Auchinblae, Kincardineshire, I7.iv.og (J. Duff us), nest; D. gallinulae, i $, 1 $, Auchinblae, Kincardineshire, i7.iv.og (J. Duffus),nest; all B.M. 1914.517; 3 $, 3 $, Hillend, Fife, 2g.v.o6 (? collector), nest; 3 $, Flotterstone, Fifeshire, 2g.v.o6 ; 5 ^, 2 , Colinton, Midlothian, vi.o6 (J. Waterston), nest; all B.M. 1914.517; 2 (J, 8 $, Carie, Rannoch, N.B., vii.oS (F. J. Cox), nest ; i $, Banbury, 4.xii.34 (W. H. Pollen), body ; 2 $, < $, Loch Ranza, Arran Isle, vii.27 (F. J. Cox), nests; < , Colinton, Mid- lothian, I3.v.o6 (J. Waterston) ; Colinton, Mid- lothian, 24-v.o6 (J. Waterston); Colinton, Midlothian, ig.v.og (J. Waterston) ; Colinton, Midlothian, 3i.vi.og (J. Waterston), body; all B.M. 1914.517; i $, Dumbarton, Scotland, 2i.ix.34 (W. H. Pollen), body; Rothschild Coll. ; 3 cJ, 4 $, Arniston, Midlothian, vi.og (A. Bennett), nest; B.M. 1914.517; < <$, < $, Talacre, nr. Prestatyn, i6.v.o3 (R. Newstead) ; i $, Newport, I.O.W., v.io (H. G. Jeffrey), nest; all Rothschild Coll. TROGLODYTIDAE Troglodytes troglodytes (L.) (Wren) C. gallinae, i $, Larnba, Shetland, 25.ix.i2 (J. Waterston), nest; B.M. ^14.517; 6 (J, 7 $, Ashton, Oundle, vi.o6 (F. J. Cox), nest; 2 <$, < $, Tring, Herts., 5-x.oi (N.C.R.), nest; D. gallinulae, 2 $, i $, St. Kilda, igoo (W. Eagle Clarke) ; all Rothschild Coll. ; i $, Gluss Voe, Ollaberry, 2o.ix.io (J. Waterston), body; 4 <$, < $, between Hillend and Flotterstone, Fife- shire, 2g.v.o6 (J. Waterston), nest; 2 $, 3 $, nr. Loganlea Waterfall, 25^.07 ( J. Waterston), nest ; all B.M. 1914.517; i $, Lesmahagow, Lanark- shire, 5.viii.o6 (J. Clark, per Watkins and Don- caster), nest; Rothschild Coll.; i <$, Pettadale Water, nr. R. Roe, 24.iv.i2 (J. Waterston), body; B.M. 1914.517; i <$, i , Cardiff, i4.vi.3i (H. M. Hallett, A. H. Salmon); 2 ?, Tring, Herts., vi.oi (N.C.R.), nest; all Rothschild Coll. CINCLIDAE Cinclus cinclus (L.) (Dipper) C. gallinae, i $, Auchinblae, Kincardineshire, I4.iv.og (L. Duffus), nest; i $, Abbey St. Ba- thans, Berwickshire, 26.V.O7; all B.M. ^14.517; i (J, i $, Rothbury, Sunderland, vii.o6 (per Watkins and Doncaster), Rothschild Coll. ; D. gallinulae, g <$, < $, Torduff Reservoir, Mid- lothian, i2.v.og (J. Waterston), nest; B.M. 1914. 517:1$, nr. Granthouse, 14^.07 (J. Waterston), nest; B.M. 1914.517; i 9. Nantyffrith, nr. Min- era, Flintshire, 5-v.oi (R. Newstead) ; Roths- child Coll. HIRUNDINIDAE Hirundo rustica L. (Swallow) C. gallinae, 2 <$, 7 $, Dirleton, East Lothian, 2.ix.og (J. Gardiner), nest; 3 $, 7 $, Howletburn, Galston, Ayrshire, 4-ix.io (J. Gloag), nest; all B.M. igi4.5i7; 8 ^, < $, Newport, I.O.W., igi2 (H. G. Jeffrey), nest; Newport, I.O.W., igi4 (H. G. Jeffrey), nest; all Rothschild Coll. Delichon urbica (L.) (House-Martin) C. gallinae, 7 , 5 $, Mull, Argyllshire, ix.i2 (L. G. Esson) ; Mull, Argyllshire, 7.1.13 (L. G. Esson) ; all Rothschild Coll. ; 2 Ashton Wold, Oundle, vi.26 (F. J. Cox), nest; < Berkshire, n.iv.34 (W. H. Pollen), body; Rothschild Coll. Columba oenas L. (Stock-Dove) C. gallinae, i 9 Colinton, Midlothian, ig.v.og (J. Waterston), nest; Rothschild Coll. Columba livia Gm. (Rock-Dove) C. gallinae, < cJ, < 9. Little Roe, Yell Sound, Shetland, I7.vii.n (J. Waterston), nest; i 9 Caves in cliffs, Todhead, Kinneff, i5.vi.og (J. Waterston), nest; all B.M. 1914.517; i 9, Belfast, Ireland, 24^.35 (W. H. Pollen), body; C. garei, 4 $, < 9 Little Roe, Shetland, I7.vii.n (J. Waterston), nests; D. gallinulae, 4 , 5 9 in a cave NE. end of Little Roe, Shetland, i7.vii.n (J. Waterston), nest; all Rothschild Coll. SCOLOPACIDAE Scolopax rusticola L. (Woodcock) D. gallinulae, 8 <$, < 9. Aberdour, Fifeshire, 25^.07 (J. Waterston), nest; B.M. 1914.517. Capella gallinago (L.) (Snipe) C. garei, i 9> Northmavine, Shetland (R. H. McNair) ; 5 9> Tankerness, Orkney, 8.vi.o6 (J. Waterston), nest; < Aberlady, nr. Edin- burgh, 22.V.O9 (J. F. Cormack), nest; all B.M. 1914.517. Vanellus vanellus (L.) (Lapwing) C. garei, 2 $, Tents Moor, Fifeshire, I2.vi.og (J. F. Cormack), nest ; 4 $, 5 9, Lochhead, Loch- gelly, Fifeshire, 25.iii.og (J. Brown), nest; 5 Orkney Islands, vi.n (N. H. Joy), nest; Rothschild Coll. Larus canus L. (Common Gull) C. garei, < (J, < 9> Little Roe, Shetland, v.n (J. Waterston), nest; B.M. 1914.517. Larus fuscus L. (Lesser Black-backed Gull) C. garei, 3 Walls, Shetland, viii.oG (per Watkins and Doncaster), nest; Rothschild Coll. STERCORARIIDAE Stercorarius parasiticus (L.) (Arctic Skua) C. garei, < Arniston, Midlothian, 26.vii.o6 (A. Bennett), nest; i < ^ < ^ Tring> Herts ( summe r f Phasianus colchicus L. (Pheasant) 1911 (F. J. Cox), nest; Rothschild Coll. C. gallinae, i Rutland County Report on Wild Birds for 1944: 1021. JORDAN, K. 1925. New Siphonaptera. Novit. zool. 32: 96-112, figs. 1-46. 1926. New Siphonaptera. Novit. zool. 33: 385-394; figs. 1-22. 1928. Siphonaptera collected in the Dolomites. Novit. zool. 34: 173-177; figs. 1-6. 19290. On some problems of distribution, variability and variation in North American Siphonaptera. Trans. 4th Int. Congr. Ent. (1928), 2: 489-499; figs. i-n. 19296. Further records of North American bird fleas, with a list of the Nearctic birds from which fleas are known. Novit. zool. 35: 89-92. I929C. Notes on North American fleas. Novit. zool. 35: 28-39; 2 pis. 19290*. On a small collection of Siphonaptera from the Adirondacks, with a list of the species known from the state of New York. Novit. zool. 35: 168-177; n s - 5~8. 1932. Die aus der arktischen Zone bekannten Flohe. Fauna Arctica, Jena, 6 (2) : 115-118. 1937- Three new bird fleas from Kashmir. Novit. zool. 40: 299-306; figs. 87-92. and ROTHSCHILD, N. C. 1911. List of Siphonaptera collected in Portugal. Novit. zool. 18: 551-554: figs. 1-3. 19200. On American Bird-Ceratophylli. Ectoparasites, 1: 65-76; figs. 65-72. 19206. A preliminary catalogue of the Siphonaptera of Switzerland. Ectoparasites, 1: 78-122; figs. 75-101. MALLOCH, J. R. 1907. *Diptera in Dumbartonshire in 1906. Ent. mon. Mag. 43: 86. (Fleas determined by N. C. Rothschild.) NORDBERG, S. 1934. Aphanipterologisches aus Finnland. I. Verzeichnis der bisher in Finnland gefundenen Aphanipteren nebst Diagnosen iiber 8 fur die Wissenschaft neue Arten. Memor. Soc. Fauna Flor. Fenn. 10: 354-369; 15 figs. 1936. Biologisch-okologische Untersuchungen iiber die Vogelnidicolen. Ada Zool. Fenn. 21: 1-168; 4 figs., 20 diagrams. NUTTALL, G. H. F., STRICKLAND C., and MERRIMAN, G. 1913. ""Observations on British rat- fleas. Parasitology , 6: 1-19. O'MAHONY, E. 19390. *A preliminary list of Irish fleas. Ent. mon. Mag. 75: 124-126. 19396 *Notes on Irish Siphonaptera, I. Ent. mon. Mag. 75: 253-254. 19410. *Notes on Irish Siphonaptera, III. Ent. mon. Mag. 77: 208. 19416. *Notes on Irish Siphonaptera, IV. Ent. mon. Mag. 77: 231. 1948. *Some miscellaneous Siphonaptera. Ent. mon. Mag. 84: 89. 19490. *The fleas of North Bull Island, Dublin Bay. Ent. mon. Mag. 85: 139-140. 19496. * Ectoparasites from Fair Island. Ent. mon. Mag. 85: 140. PHILIP, C. B. 1938. A parasitological reconnaissance in Alaska with particular reference to varying Hares. II. Parasitological data. /. Parasit. 24: 483-488. (C. vagabunda Boh. determined by K. Jordan.) ROTHSCHILD, M. 1947. *A note on Ceratophyllus rusticus Wagner, 1903 (Siphonaptera) at Ashton Wold. Entomologist, 80: 253-255. 1948. *Bird fleas collected by Miss Theresa Clay, Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen, and Captain W. H. Pollen in the Island of Ushant, Brittany, France, with a note on the distribution of Ceratophyllus borealis Rothschild, 1907. Entomologist, 81: 84-95; figs. 1-3. and CLAY, T. (in press). *Fleas, flukes and cuckoos. (New Naturalist Series.) London. ROTHSCHILD, N. C. 1900. *Notes on Pulex avium Tasch. Novit. zool. 7: 539-543- 1901. *A new British flea (Ceratophyllus newsteadi). Ent. Rec. 13: 284; i pi. 1902. *New British fleas. Ent. mon. Mag. 38: 225; figs. 1-7. (Ceratophyllus garei.) * Papers containing records of British bird-fleas. A COLLECTION OF FLEAS FROM THE BODIES OF BRITISH BIRDS 231 ROTHSCHILD, N. C. 1903. Types of Siphonaptera in the Daleian collection. Ent. man. Mag. 39: 144146. 1906. *A new British flea: Ceratophyllus insularis, spec. nov. Ent. mon. Mag. 42: 5960, i pi. 1912. A note on Ceratophyllus vagabundus, Boheman. Ent. mon. Mag. 48:67. - 1915. *A synopsis of the British Siphonaptera. Ent. mon. Mag. 51: 49-112; pis. vii-xiv. SALMON, H. M. 1931. *The Manx Shearwater's flea. Brit. Birds, London, 25: 171. SHIPLEY, A. E. 1909. *The ectoparasites of the Red Grouse (Lagopus scoticus). Proc. zool. Soc. Land. 1909: 39~334. P ls - 35~47- *Skokholm Bird Observatory Reports for 1938, p. 5, and 1939, p. 10. (Siphonaptera determined by C. Oldroyd and G. B. Thompson.) SLATER, H., 1925. *Proc. Somersetsh. Archaeol. Nat. Hist. Soc. 70: liv. 1927. *Proc. Somersetsh. Archaeol. Nat. Hist. Soc. 72: Ixviii. SMIT, F. G. A. M. 1949. Monstrosities in Siphonaptera. Tijdschr. Ent. (1946), 90: 35-42; figs. 1-2. THOMPSON, G. B. 19370. *The parasites of British birds and mammals. XII. On some parasites from the burrows of Puffins. Ent. mon. Mag. 73: 87-88. 19376. *The parasites of British birds and mammals. XIII. Records of Siphonaptera bred from birds' nests. Ent. mon. Mag. 73: 105-107. !937C. "The parasites of British birds and mammals. XV. Bird fleas and their hosts. Ent. mon. Mag. 73: 137-142. TURK, F. A. 1946. *The Siphonaptera of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly with the description of a new subspecies. Ent. mon. Mag. 82: 97-100; i fig. VERDCOURT, B. 1945. *Records of Bedfordshire Siphonaptera. Ent. mon. Mag. 81: 74. *Victoria History of the County of Hertford, 1920: 170. "Victoria History of the County of Oxford, 1939: 178. WAGNER, J. 1929. tJber neue palaearktische Floh-Arten ( Aphaniptera) . I. Annu. Mus. zool. Akad. Leningrad, 30: 21-33; T 3 n s - 1930. Katalog der palaearktischen Aphanipteren. 55 pp. Wien. WAHLGREN, E. 19030. Aphanipterologische Notizen, nebst Beschreibung neuer Arten. Ark. Zool. 1: 181-196; pis. 7-9. 19036. t)ber Pulex vagabunda Bohem. Ent. Tidskr. 24: 219. 1907. Svenska Siphonaptera. Ent. Tidskr. 28: 85-91 ; figs. 1-2. WALSH, G. B. 1938. *A further contribution to a list of Yorkshire Siphonaptera. Naturalist, Land. 977: 185-187. WATERSTON, J. 1906. *On some Scottish Siphonaptera. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist.: 211-214. 1909. *On some Scottish Siphonaptera. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist. 18: 226-228. 1910. *On some habits and hosts of bird Ceratophylli taken in Scotland in 1909, with description of a new species (C. rothschildi) and records of various Siphonaptera. Proc. R. phys. Soc. Edinb. 18: 73-91. 1914. *Some records of Scottish Siphonaptera. Ent. mon. Mag. 50: 88-91 and 159-166. 1916. Fleas as a menace to man and domestic animals, their life-history, habits and control. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Econ. Ser. 8:21 pp. ; 6 figs. 1923. *On the occurrence, near London, of the flea Ceratophyllus vagabundus Boh., under unusual circumstances. Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. (1922), parts hi, iv: 454-460; figs. 1-2, i pi. WILLIAMSON, K. 1940. *Numbers of Black Redstarts on passage in Man. Brit. Birds, 33 (9) : 252-254. * Papers containing records of British bird-fleas. 232 A COLLECTION OF FLEAS FROM THE BODIES OF BRITISH BIRDS LIST OF TABLES TABLE i : Fleas collected by Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen and Miss Theresa Clay from the bodies of British birds. TABLE 2: Records of C. vagabunda Boheman (1866). TABLE 3 : British bird hosts of C. gallinae, C. garei, and D. g. gallinulae. TABLE 4: Comparative records of C. gallinae, C. garei, and D. g. galli- nulae (compiled from all known British records). TABLE 5: Selected hosts on which C. garei is the dominant species of flea. TABLE 6: Selected hosts on which C. gallinae is the dominant species of flea. TABLE 7: Selected hosts on which D. g. gallinulae is the dominant species of flea. TABLE 8: British records of C. gallinae, C. garei, and D. g. gallinulae collected away from any host or nest. TABLE 9: C. gallinae, C. garei, and D. g. gallinulae in the British Museum Collection from named bird hosts. TABLE 10: Monthly records of C. gallinae, C. garei, and D. g. gallinulae from the bodies of bird hosts in Britain. TABLE 1 1 : Proportion of birds infested with fleas. (Collected by Colonel Meinertzhagen and Miss T. Clay.) TABLE 12 : Proportion of Great Tits (Parus major newtoni) infested with fleas. (Collected by Colonel Meinertzhagen and Miss T. Clay.) PRESENTED 7 FEB 1952