Sunday 18 May 2008

Atlas of the Fleas (Siphonaptera) of Britain and Ireland


The Biological Records Centre has released Robert George's latest edition of the "Atlas of the Fleas (Siphonaptera) of Britain and Ireland". This new Atlas includes distribution maps, species accounts, details about flea hosts, over 60 different types of British Flea and is an update of the first edition of a “Flea Atlas” which was published by BRC in 1974 also by Mr George.

The TimesOnline reports:

"His fascination with fleas began in 1949, when he was living close to a butcher's and restaurant in Gloucester and trapped 35 mice over three nights. He collected 15 fleas from one mouse and sent them to Frans Smit, curator of the Rothschild Collection of Siphonaptera at Tring, Hertfordshire. Mr Smit told him that they included two species that had never been recorded in Gloucestershire before."

this inspired Mr George to switch from studying beatles to studying fleas. His work has since been recognised as a national recording scheme in 1964 by the Biological Records Centre (BRC), and encourage by Hon. Miriam Rothschild.

Atlas of the Fleas (Siphonaptera) of Britain and Ireland
by Robert.S. George
Edited by Helen Roy, of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Published by the Field Studies Council of behalf of the Biological Records Centre
ISBN 978-0-95576-723-4

Ordering Information:
CEH Publication Sales,Monks Wood,Abbots Ripton,Huntingdon,Cambs, PE28 2LS
Tel: 01487 772400
Fax: 01487 773467
Email: ceh_graphicdesign@ceh.ac.uk

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