E. T. BROWNE ON A SPECIES OF ORTHEZIA. 171 



The old skin splits along the back, and then the young one 

 gradually backs itself out. 



The males possess wings, and are destitute of the waxen cover- 

 ing. In Westwood's " Introduction to the Classification of 

 Insects," Vol. i, Plate I, there is an engraving of the male of 

 Orthezia cata phr actus . The male I found at Kew (caught flying 

 about near the food plant) differs considerably from the one figured 

 in Westw T ood. The insect is much smaller, and there are only two 

 waxen threads from the extremity of the abdomen. In Orthezia 

 cataphr actus there is a large bunch. 



Mr. Douglas, who has written several papers on Orthezia, whicli 

 may be found in the Entomological Society's Transactions for 

 1881, states that the larvae of males of Orthezia urticce are like those 

 of the females in form, and are only distinguished from the females 

 by two projecting posterior lamina?. 



I have not yet discovered this form of the male among the Kew 

 species. I have shut up separately many Orthezia, without the 

 marsupium, in hopes of discovering a male, but within a fortnight 

 the marsupium has begun to form. 



At the end of the third week my insects have generally died of 

 starvation, as I am unable to obtain food for them. 



During the past eight weeks I have seen many dozens of young 

 Orthezia born, but not a single winged male has made its appear- 

 ance. Probably the Orthezia?, following the custom of their rela- 

 tions, the Aphides, produce all females for many generations. I 

 must express my thanks to Mr. J. W. Douglas for his kind 

 response to my inquiries, and I shall take the liberty to quote from 

 his kind letter the valuable information contained in it. He says : 

 " I am greatly obliged to you for the Orthezia ; it appears to me 

 to be quite new, but I am not sure that the absence of lamella? on 

 the thorax is normal, for all of them in the tube are more or less 

 broken. I have stated all I know about Orthezia in the Entomo- 

 logical Society's Transactions, and previously in the ' Entomolo- 

 gists' Monthly Magazine.' There is one species (American, 

 Walker) that I do not know, and there is one species figured by 

 Cornstock, in his report for 1880, which is not yours." It is my 

 intention to forward more specimens to Mr. Douglas, as he 

 possesses better means of identifying the insect than I do. I also 

 feel much indebted to Mr. S. J. Mclntire for the help he has given 

 me in collecting specimens. 



