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Notes on Some Remarkable Coccids from British Guiana. 



By S. J. McIntire. 

 {Read October 26th, 1888.) 



In a recent letter from my friend, Mr. Robert "Ward, of the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, George Town, British Guiana, the 

 following passage occurs : — 



" I am sending you in a small box, some scale-insects that 

 attack our plants, especially orchids. Mr. Jenman (the head 

 officer of the gardens) mentioned the other day, that he did not 

 know the name, so I said I would send them to you, and he 

 seemed pleased at the idea. If, therefore, it is not troubling 

 you too much, we would be glad if you would find out all about 

 them, and I will show Mr. Jenman what you have to say on the 

 matter." 



The tin box, containing leaves of orchids and of mango, duly 

 arrived, and I was much struck with the extraordinary appear- 

 ance of certain coccids upon the leaves. They resembled tiny 

 tents pegged down, at six or seven points, to the surface of the 

 leaves. They also, when viewed on the under surface, looked 

 like tiny star-fishes. Altogether they were both curious and 

 pretty objects. 



At the first opportunity I took them to the Natural History 

 Museum at South Kensington, but the officials, whose courteous 

 attention I now deem it my duty to acknowledge, could not 

 name the specimens. At the same time, however, they gave me 

 the addresses of Mr. J. W. Douglas and Miss Ormerod, as possible 

 sources from whence I might get the information I was in search 

 of. Then they asked me to leave a specimen of the (to them) 

 very remarkable coccid for the National Collection. This, of 

 course, I promptly did, and delivered over my best mango leaf, 

 with all the particulars on the subject which I could then 

 furnish. 



I wrote at once to Mr. Douglas, and by return of post he 

 replied as follows : — 



" I am much interested by and obliged to you for the speci- 



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