31 fi 8. J. McINTIRE ON OOCCFDS FROM URITISH GUIANA. 



mens of the coccid you have sent. Unfortunately all are more 

 or less broken, but [ recognize in them Vinsonia pulchella, Sign., 

 described and figured by Signoret in the ' Annales de la Societe 

 Entomologique de France,' ser. 4, torn, x, p. 34, pi. viii, fig. 7 

 (1870). These are the only actual specimens I have seen, and 

 if you have or can get any perfect examples I should be greatly 

 obliged. Signoret had his examples on mango, from Reunion. 



" On the orchid leaf you send is another kind of coccid, a flat, 

 brown scale (sketch given), which also I should be glad to get 

 more of if you have or can get." 



In reply to this I sent him two more leaves, more carefully 

 packed than on the first occasion. Next day he acknowledged 

 my letter as follows : — 



" I am very much obliged to you for the scales ; those on the 

 mango leaf are the most perfect. You are quite at liberty to do 

 what yon please with my letter. I gave the citation of Signoret' s 

 description and plate for you to send to your correspondent if 

 you like. The examples received appear to be all female ; the 

 male is not known. It, like all coccidae, would be a two-winged 

 insect, very small, and is, perhaps, only to be obtained in its 

 native country. The female is one of the most singular in form 

 of all the coccida?, although they exhibit the most wonderful 

 variety. Signoret calls it ' cette magnifique espece.' Ask your 

 friend to send some of the flat scales, of which there was one on 

 the orchid leaf you first sent ; it may be Lecamium acuminatum, 

 Sign. This is said to be transparent when alive, which I 

 should like to have verified. When dead it becomes brown ; at 

 least, in the mature form. I think I have it thus on mango 

 leaf from Ceylon." 



Again I forwarded a couple more leaves, saying, as I did so, 

 that one of the leaves seemed to display vestiges of other life 

 upon it, and by next day I received a third letter as follows : — 



' Many thanks for your further consignment of leaves. The 

 oval scales (pale green, as I expected) are those of Lecamium 

 acuminatum, Sign. ; at least, that is my impression without 

 minute investigation. The vestiges of ' other life ' on the leaves 

 are the remains of the male scales of an entirely different coccid 

 — a Diaspis. That is all I can now say. Get your friend to send 

 more of these or any other coccida? on the plants — that is, on 

 the leaves, etc." 



