Maskell. — Further Notes on Coccid®. 47 



The fact that the tibia is shorter than the tarsus in the adult 

 female, in both the species hei-e given, is quite exceptional in the 

 family. It occurs only, besides in these, in some species of 

 Acantho-cnccidm ; in all others, a tibia shorter than the tarsus 

 is an indication that the specimen examined is not full- 

 grown. I have hesitated to include this amongst the generic 

 characters of EriocJiiton until at least a third species has been 

 found possessing it. Some persons are fond of creating genera and 

 species from a single specimen or two. I do not agree with this. 



Eriocliiton spinosus. 



{Ctenocluton spinosus, mihi.) 



From closer examination of the female test of this species I 

 find that it is not formed of waxy plates but of felted threads.* 

 and I am therefore obhged to remove it from the genus Ctenocluton. 

 It should be described as follows : — Test of female white, thin, 

 formed of felted threads ; inconspicuous in all stages and often 

 absent from the adult, but distinguishable on the larva and 

 on the second, or pupal, stage. 



The male test (which I have only lately found) is white, 

 thick, felted, oval, convex, averaging ^l inch in length. 



To the description of the adult female already given in 

 former papers, it must be added that the tibiae are shorter 

 than the tarsi, a very exceptional character. 



The adult male (only lately found, and apparently very 

 rare) is of the normal Lecanid form ; colour generally dark 

 brown. Eyes : two dorsal, two ventral ; and two ocelli. 

 Antenna of ten joints; the second thicker than the rest, 

 the third and fourth the longest, the eighth, ninth, and 

 tenth moniliform ; all the joints hairy, and on the five last 

 joints are several hairs with clubbed extremities. Feet slender, 

 hairy ; digitules fine hairs. Abdominal spike somewhat strong 

 and sharp ; and on each side of its base is a tubercle bearing 

 two long setfe, and each pair of setse becomes enclosed in a 

 long white cottony thread, the two threads forming conspicuous 

 " tails," as is common with many male Coccids. 



Eriochiton hispidm, sp. nov. Plate II., figs. 5-8. 



Test of female white, very thin, felted, formed of threads 

 secreted by the numerous spiny spinnerets. At the edge 



* The tests of all Lecanids may be said to be more or less " waxy ;" and 

 I am not certain that there is any chemical difference between them : but 

 there must be some reason why, in certain species, the secretion forms 

 plates of wax which are apparently homogenous, whilst in others the threads 

 issuing from the spinneret tubes never entirely coalesce. I believe the dis- 

 tinction which I have made between " waxy," '' cottony," and " felted," and 

 which is made also by other writers, is quite clear enough for generic pur- 

 poses ; though it may never be worth while for anybody to ascertain the 

 chemical reasons for it. 



