On the Formation of the Spore in a species of Vesiculifera. 333 



closely allied to but distinct from the E. abbreviatus, Guerin, Voy. 

 Coq. Zool. ii. 193. 



Ceroplastes, Crrai/. 



Coccus {Ceroplastes)jamaicensis, White. Mr. Gray in the ' Spi- 

 cilegia Zoologica ' (p. 7. tab. 3. f. 6. and 7) has described and 

 figured two species of a singular insect of the family CoccidcSj 

 found by the late Lady Callcott during her residence in Brazil. 

 For their reception he has formed the genus Ceroplastes, charac- 

 terized as follows : — 



" The seven plates, of which the covering of the female is com- 

 posedj are arranged in two lateral pairs, and a central series con- 

 sisting of an anterior, a dorsal and a posterior plate ; the nucleus 

 of the six marginal plates is close to the lower edge, that of the 

 dorsal one nearly central .^^ The two species described are C. chi- 

 lensisj large, white, pellucid, the plates nearly equal in size, the 

 dorsal flattish ; it was found on the branches and peduncles of 

 a tree with pinnated leaves : the second species, C. janeirensis, 

 is smaller, brownish, subopake, hemispherical, the dorsal plate 

 convex ; it was found on a species of Solanum with simple lan- 

 ceolate velvety leaves. 



In the 'Philosophical Transactions^ for 1794, p. 383, Dr. 

 Pearson described an insect allied to the above under the name 

 of " White-lac/^ somewhat similar to the Pe-la of the Chinese. 

 Mr. Gray, in his memoir, refers to species of similar insects as 

 having been found by Humboldt and D'Azara. The occurrence 

 of another distinct species of this genus, in a collection made by 

 Mr. Gosse in Jamaica, induces me to make this note and add its 

 description. They were taken from the trunk of a lance-wood 

 tree. Mr. Gosse mentions that they melt in a candle like wax : 

 in size it approaches Mr. Gray's second species, in colour and 

 form it is different; it may be called Ceroplastes jamaicensis. It 

 is of a yellowish green colour ; the base is almost hexagonal ; there 

 are six marginal plates, each of which is slightly notched in the 

 middle below ; the upper plate is notched behind and has two pro- 

 minences in front. 



XLIV. — Mode of the Formation of the Spore in a species of Ve- 

 siculifera. By G. H. K. Thwaites, Esq. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 



Gentlemen, 2 Kingsdown Parade, Bristol, March 24, 1846. 



Having recently met with a species of Vesiculifera just in that 

 state of maturity calculated for showing to advantage the various 

 stages in the development of the spore, I did not let slip the op- 



