Maskell. — 0)1 Coccididae. 158 



— some simple circular orifices, others small cylindrical 

 tubes. 



Female of second stage and larva, unknown. 



Male unknown. 



Hab. In New Zealand, on Fagus fusca (black-birch), near 

 Eeefton ; apparently only on the twigs. 



The employment of a bud-scale as a covering by this in- 

 sect in the adult state is peculiar, and abnormal in the genus. 

 The Dactijlo2)ii are as a rule either active and almost naked 

 even during gestation, or simply surround themselves with 

 cottony secretion. The scales of Fagus fusca are very small, 

 red in colour, and triangular, and their concavity on one side 

 forms a most convenient shelter for this insect, which is only 

 to be detected from the small fringe of cotton which usually 

 protrudes from beneath the edges of the scale — in fact, it 

 would be scarcely noticed in most cases. The prolongation of 

 the abdomen is a character which distinguishes D. ohtectus, 

 apart from its mode of concealment, from other species of the 

 genus. I am indebted to Mr. Cavell for this species. 



Subdivision MONOPHLEBID^. 



Genus Ccelostoma, Maskell. 



CcBlostoma assimile, sp. nov. Plate IX., figs. 19-24. 



Female of the second stage covered by a hard waxy test 

 of irregular shape. Insect globular, reddish, smooth, very 

 obscurely segmented ; diameter about g^n. in the specimens 

 observed ; filling the test. Antennae thick, conical, very short, 

 with four joints. Feet absent. Eostrum and mentum very 

 large ; mentum long, sharply conical, trimerous. Skin covered 

 with a great number of circular spinneret-orifices of two sizes, 

 all simple. Tracheae very large, ending in sixteen vasiform 

 spiracles. At the abdominal extremity a large brow-n patch, 

 in wliich is the auogenital simple ring ; and there is a large 

 internal tubular (honey-dew?) organ, with a group of circular 

 glands at its interior end, and a ring of similar glands half- 

 way along it. 



Adult female, larva, and male not observed. 



Hah. In New Zealand, on Fagus sp., Eeefton district. 



Although I have only the second stage of this insect, it 

 resembles in so many particulars G. zealandicum, mihi, that I 

 have no hesitation in fixing its generic position. In size it is 

 much smaller than the average of that species ; at the same 

 time, I have seen on the same twig waxy tests of C. zealandi- 

 cum, varying from the size of a large pea down to that of a large 

 pin's head ; and possibly those of C. assimile may also vary 

 considerably. This insect is quite distinct, in the absence of 

 the feet, in the four-jointed antennae, and in the very large 



