Maskell.— O^i Coccididae. 147 



Eriococais depends simply upon the quantity of cotton ex- 

 creted. In Eriococcus this is sufficient to form a complete 

 envelope, and the female insect is not visible until the cottony 

 mass has been torn away from it ; in Gossyparia a certain 

 portion, or the whole, of the dorsal region is exposed. I con- 

 fess that it seems to me likely that these two genera will have 

 to be, some day, united. The distinction hitherto relied upon 

 does not in any case seem altogether satisfactory. Between 

 Eriococcus and Nidularia, Sign, (a genus closely resembling 

 Gossyparia in outward appearance), there is, besides the differ- 

 ence in the cottony mass, an entirely organic distinction, for 

 Nidularia loses its feet and antennae. Between Eriococcus 

 and Rliizococcus there is the distinction that the latter con- 

 structs no cottony mass at all. These are sufficient characters 

 for separation. But between Eriococcus and Gossyparia it is 

 only a question of quantity. And as observation is extended 

 numerous links are sure to be found in which the quantity of 

 cotton will be extremely various. The insect about to be 

 described seems to be one of these links. It is not entirely 

 enclosed, like Eriococcus raithbyi ; it is not quite bare on the 

 dorsum, like the European Gossyparia ulmi. I shall leave it in 

 the genus Gossyp)aria, because it certainly has not always 

 what one could call a regular " sac ;" but some day the whole 

 genus will probably have to be merged in Eriococcus. 



Gossyparia cavellii, sp. nov. Plate VII., figs. 13-22. 



Adult female stationary, dark-purple in colour, semi-globu- 

 lar, averaging about lin. in diameter ; resting on a cushion of 

 yellowish or greyish cotton, with filaments of the same more 

 or less sparsely covering the dorsum ; sometimes the body of 

 the insect is quite clearly visible through the threads, at others 

 it is scarcely to be seen. When crushed, the insect stains the 

 fingers a rich-crimson colom-. Body segmented, but the seg- 

 ments are indistinct when at full age. Antennae of six sub- 

 equal joints. Feet very short ; coxa and femur thick, with a 

 somewhat large trochanter on which there is one rather long 

 seta ; tibia shorter than the tarsus ; all the four digitules are 

 knobbed hairs. Anal tubercles moderate, each bearing at the 

 end two rather short setas, and with a spine at the base. 

 Anogenital ring with eight hairs. Spiracles circular, funnel- 

 shaped. Very numerous short conical spiny spinnerets on 

 each dorsal segment, most numerous near the edges ; inter- 

 spersed with these are simple circular orifices, w^hich are sparse 

 on the median dorsal i-egion. Mentum dimerous, bearing a 

 few short hairs at the tip. 



Female of second stage active, naked ; dark-crimson in 

 colour just before the metamorphosis, but red with yellow 

 edges at the beginning of this stage ; at first elliptical, but at 



