THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 209 



Cooper's ranch at Santa Barbara, Cal, a scale insect infesting the 

 leaves and twigs of eucalyptus, olive, pear, and fig. The same insect 

 was found on willow at Los Angeles, Cal. From this material, and from 

 other specimens received from various parts of the country, was de- 

 scribed the species Aspidiotus rapax, Comst. {^camellice, Sign.), which 

 was named the greedy scale on account of its wide range of food plants. 



Collected at Santa Barbara at the same time as the above was a 

 scale, described as being identical with the last, except appearing some- 

 what larger. It occurred on the bark of the trunk and larger limbs of 

 willow trees, the original specimens being now in the Department col- 

 lection. Prof Comstock, in his description of Aspidiotus convextts, 

 designates this as the type material of the species named. An examina- 

 tion made some years later, however, showed that the willow scale in 

 question, supposed to represent cofivexus, was in reality Comstock's 

 rapax, which latter had also been found on willow in California, as 

 noted, as well as in other places. 



It was evident that some mistake or confusion of slides had been 

 made, and the species convexus was deemed non-existent. Later, how- 

 ever, a scale insect was received from the West, on willow, which seemed 

 to agree with the description of convexus and was referred to this 

 species, and in the course of years a considerable quantity of material 

 referable to convexus accumulated in the Department collection, the 

 supposition now being that the type, accidentally or otherwise, had 

 actually been before Prof. Comstock, and had subsequently either been 

 lost or mislaid. The fact, however, that there existed no type material 

 of convexus left the matter still open to some doubt, and made it desir- 

 able to study, if possible, the preparations in the private collection of 

 Prof. Comstock representing the species. 



At the request of the writer, Prof Comstock kindly sent for exami- 

 nation his type slides of convexus. The material received consisted of 

 seven slides, three of which are marked ''''convexus, Comst., type," and 

 proved, astonishingly enough, to belong to ancylus, as did also two of 

 the other slides labelled " 240 Sub. i." The other two slides labelled 

 '•'240 Sub. 2" proved to be juglans regice. The "type slides" of 

 convexus are labelled " No. 746, Aspidiotus on willow, Santa Barbara, 

 Cal.," apparently connecting them with the willow scale collected at 

 that place. 



An examination of the type material now brought together for the 



