210 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



first time, and of Prof. Comstock's description of the species in the 

 Agricultural Report for 1880 (page 219), and also his figure of the 

 species (i.e., Plate XII., fig. 8), throws a good deal of light on the diffi- 

 culty and clears up the confusion which had hitherto existed. 



The scale on willow collected at Santa Barbara, Cal., is typical 

 rapax {=cafnellice), agreeing with the other material of this species 

 collected at the same time and place. The old slide material in the 

 Department of Agriculture, made from the willow scale in question, and 

 later preparations made by the writer, confirm this determination. 



The slide material taken away by Prof Comstock, and labelled as 

 type material, is aiicylus ; the additional material referred to the species 

 being divided between ancyias -Siwd Juglafis regice, as noted. 



In the characterization of " co?ivexus" Prof Comstock undoubtedly 

 had this willow material before him, and, in fact, recognized the scales as 

 being indistinguishable from those of rapax, a fact noted in the 

 description. At the same time he studied balsam preparations asso- 

 ciated with the pinned willow bark, and which he naturally supposed to 

 have been made from the same, noted the presence of the grouped 

 glands distinguishing the species at once from rapax, and characterized 

 the insect as a distinct species. In the second paragraph of the descrip- 

 tion, however, he points out the resemblance in the terminal segment of 

 the " convixus " female with the female of aiicylus. Furthermore, an 

 examination of the figure given of convexiis indicates that it was un- 

 doubtedly drawn from one of the misplaced slides of ancylus, of which 

 species it is a characteristic delineation, and is subgenerically distinct 

 from the group to which rapax and the supposed convexiis belong. 

 Through some unfortunate accident, these slides of ancyhis had become 

 associated with the convex willow scale from California, and an error, 

 very ditificult to discover and correct, was made. 



It has already been noted that a large quantity of material has 

 accumulated in the collection of the Department which has been re- 

 ferred to coiivexus, and the actual existence of a species closely allied to 

 rapax, but distinguished from the latter by the presence of grouped 

 glands, is well established. This scale, in fact, has been described two 

 or three times. It is undoubtedly the species described by Prof Com- 

 stock as cydonice from quince in Florida. Prof Comstock recognized 



