THE EARLY LITERATURE OF MALLOPHAGA By THERESA CLAY AND G. H. E. HOPKINS (PART III, 1776-1786) SYNOPSIS This part, the third of a series of papers in which it is intended to review the species of Mallo-phaga described between 1758 and 1818, deals with the twelve species described by F. Schrank in 1776 and 1781 ; the two species by O. F. Miiller in 1776 ; the single species by J. C. Fabricius in 1777 ; the seven species by De Geer in 1778 ; the seven species by O. Fabricius in 1780 ; the three species by A. F. Fourcroy in 1785 ; the single species described by Mohr in 1786. 1 As in previous instalments, the references following the headings are to the original work. SCHRANK, 1776 (Beytrdge zur Naturgeschichte, Leipzig : 113-120.) WITH Schrank we reach much firmer ground than we have trodden hitherto, for all his species are quite reasonably well figured and there can be little doubt about the identity of any of them. All have, of course, been renamed (singly or in groups) by Nitzsch. The new species, all of which were published in perfectly valid form, are discussed below. Pediculus curuccae (p. 113, PI. 5, fig. i). The host is " Motacilla curucca " (= Sylvia curucca), and the figure shows a Menoponid resembling Menacanthus rather than Myrsidea. No subsequent author has anything particularly useful to say about it, but Nitzsch (1818 : 300) renamed it Liotheum (Menopon) minutum. As no material from the type host is available, neo-types of Menacanthus curuccae (Schrank) cannot be erected. Pediculus rubeculae (p. 115, PI. 5, fig. 4) No host is mentioned in the description, but the species is called " Rothkehlchen-laus," which is sufficient indication that the host was Erithacus rubecula ; in a later work (1781 : 507) Schrank gives the host as Motacilla rubecula. The figure is a reasonably good representation of a Ricinus and could not be mistaken for anything else. 1 In the last instalment of this series we remarked (Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Entomology, 2 : 4) that " K61er has evidently not studied the early literature at all ... ' equi (Lin.),' for instance, does not exist, no species having been described under this name prior to 1842, when Denny described it." This remark is clumsily worded and suggests a reproach to Dr. von Keler that we certainly did not intend. In ascribing the authorship of equi to Linne he was in conformity with nearly all recent writers on Mallophaga, since, with extremely few exceptions all have either ignored or overlooked the fact that Pediculus equi Linnd is a nomen nudum. ENTOM. Ill, 6. 1 8
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