THE OANADIAK ENTOMOLOGIST. 17 



Indian punicce differs clearly in the scale, and it will suffice to say, with- 

 out further details, that Howardi is not identical with any known neo- 

 tropical species. 



Having,' thus satisfied ourselves that it is no known American species, 

 nearctic or neotropical, we naturally turn to Europe. Is it A.ostreiefor^nis 

 of Curtis? I have examined ostreccformis from Isleworth, England, 

 (Geo. Manville Fenn), on reach; also from Rouen, France (sent by Mr. 

 Morgan). It is quite manifestly not Howard^ though in some respects like 

 it; ostreceforniis has the median lobes well notched without, the second 

 lobes longer and narrower, a pair of curious tooth-like plates beyond, 

 numerous orifices in the groups of ventral glands, etc. On the whole, 

 ostrecefonnis, perniciosus and ancylus appear to be nearer to one another 

 than either to Howardi. 



Lichtenstein's A. pyri is presumably the ostrecB/ormis, formerly con- 

 foanded, as remarked, with a Diaspis. But he says the c^ scale is 

 rounded, whereas it is surely oval— at least in true ostrcivformis, as in 

 Howardi. As for other European species, I find none that will agree with 

 our insect. 



There is one other species of Aspidiotiis that seemed very like ours, 

 and that is A. spinosus. Comst., found on Camellias in the conservatory 

 of the Dept. Agriculture at Washington, the original habitat being 

 unknown. The food-plant suggests Japan, and v/hen I noticed the 

 resemblance to Howardi in this insect I was much interested, having 

 already thought of the probability that our species came on Japanese 

 fruit trees, the importation of which has lately become increasingly 

 popular. Judging by Comstock's figure of spinosus, it might seem that 

 Ihey could not be the same ; but the figure shows only one pair of lobes, 

 the description giving second and third pairs, though stating that they 

 are small. 



At this point I should have been inclined to let the matter drop, or 

 await further developments, but for the kindness of Messrs. Howard and 

 Pergande, in Washington. Having put my difficulty to Mr. Howard, he 

 turned the matter over to Mr. Pergande, who prepared the appended 

 report. This report seems to indicate that Comstock's figure of spiiwsus 

 is more correct than his description ; but, in any case, it practically settles 

 the difficulty as to the possible identity of Howardi with spinosus. I had 

 not myself seen the grouped ventral glands in Howardi, but Mr. Pergande 

 shows that they exist. 



