'Queen of the fleas' dies

2005-01-25 22:25

London - Dame Miriam Rothschild, a self-taught scientist whose highly technical studies of parasites earned her the title "Queen of the Fleas", has died at the age of 96, her family said.

Rothschild died on January 20 at her home, her family said. The cause of death was not announced. A private funeral was held the following day.

A passionate conservationist known mainly for her work on fleas and butterflies, Rothschild also published more than 300 papers on a wide range of subjects that included bird behaviour and the effects of a group of chemicals called pyrazines.

Her magnum opus was the Catalogue of the Rothschild Collection of Fleas, which appeared in six volumes over 30 years.

Rothschild was the first to note that the rabbit flea allowed its breeding cycles to be controlled by its host rabbit's hormones and conducted fascinating research into the parasites infesting the eyelashes of hippos.

- AP