Maskbll. — On Coccididae. 9 



The foregoing list contains the greater part of modern 

 Coccid literature. Earlier writers, such as Eeaumur, Geoffroy, 

 Curtis, Bouche, Westwood, Fitch, Nietner, &c., may be some- 

 times consulted. 



Finally, I think it advisable to say just a word or two as to 

 the nomenclature which I have adopted regarding this family 

 of the Homoptera. A few writers have taken exceptioii to my 

 use of such terms as " groups " and " subdivisions " : they tell 

 me I ought to say " sub-family," "tribe," and such-like. Again, 

 I am taken to task for my words "Coccidid»," " Lecanidinai," 

 and so on. They say that the declension of Greek and Latin 

 words should be strictly observed, and that the reduplication 

 of syllables adopted by me in such words as those just given 

 is a grave scientific error. It is to be feared that I am an in- 

 corrigible offender. Fully admitting the excellence of gram- 

 mar and its rules, I cannot help thinking that in the matter of 

 systematic nomenclature clearness and convenience are still 

 more excellent. Huxley, I think, somewhere says the same 

 thing. The classification which I have used is, to me, the 

 simplest, the best, and the most convenient. Others are per- 

 fectly free to adopt it or not, as they please : I claim that it 

 puts the family Coccididre before the student in the clearest 

 and completest way, and, so thinking, I propose to adhere 

 to it. 



Note.— All the insects originally collected by the late Mr. Crawford, 

 whether determined by me or not, are marked in this paper " Crawford 

 Coll." 



Group DIASPIDIN^. . 

 Genus Aspidiotus, Bouche. 

 Aspidiotus subrubescens, sp. nov. Plate I., figs. 1, 2. 



Female puparium reddish-brown, sub-circular, flat, and 

 smooth ; the pellicles in the centre, small, forming a small 

 slightly elevated boss, wdiich is rather yellower than the rest. 

 Diameter of puparium variable : specimens reach from -^-^va.. 

 to -J-in. 



Male puparium white, slightly elongated, not carinated. 

 Length, about ^V^^- 



Adult female of the usual peg-top form of the genus, the 

 terminal segment shrinking up at gestation ; colour, brown. 

 Abdomen ending in six rounded lobes with a number of scaly 

 serrated hairs between them : these hairs extend also a short 

 way along the margin, and where they end is another lobe, 

 which is denticulate and pointed. Spinneret-groups four : the 

 upper pair with 16 to 18 orifices, the lower pair with 10 to 12. 

 Many single spinnerets. 



Adult male unknown. 



