85 



These facts I believe tend to point out that the insect must have 

 other sources of food supply besides the various palms which it 

 attacks, and that palms will not suffer severely in places where 

 such a food supply is fairly constant. Practically it cannot be said 

 that our Palms in the Royal Botanic Gardens suffer from the attack 

 of the BhyncopJiorus, yet at the same time we know positively that 

 it is certain destruction to any palm to wound its stem in such^a 

 manner as will allow the beetle access thereto ; and a palm cut down 

 and left to decay upon the ground, provides nutriment for large 

 numbers of the larvse in the cellular matter of its interior, where 

 they will feed, pass through the pupa stage, and finally leave as 

 perfect insects. To prevent the access of the beetle to wounds when 

 accidentally made, there is nothing better than a coating of coal tar 

 mixed with clay to the consistency of paste, applied before an oppor- 

 tunity is afforded for a visit from the beetle. 



No. 22. — An Addition to the Trinidad List of Coccid.e or Scale 

 Insects. — No. 30 of our Trinidad list has been named Datylopius 

 sacchari, Ckll., n. sp. This was found in large numbers feeding upon 

 sugar cane plants in our Gardens. It was also found by Mr. Urich 

 and sent to Professor Cockerell a few days previous to my consignment 

 reaching him. The insect itself is what is commonly known as a 

 "mealy bug" — a class of insects somewhat common in the tropics, 

 and where found in large numbers, a great hindrance to good 

 cultivation. No. 31 of our list is another " scale insect" found on 

 roots of Dioscorea or " Yam," on which it was very plentiful. 

 Professor Cockerell has noted its habitat as a somewhat remarkable 

 one, as Avill be seen in his description which is here published. 

 Neither of the insects at present give serious trouble to cultivators. 



A NEW Scale Insect infesting Yam Roots. By T. D. A. Cockerell, Ento- 

 mologist of the New Mexico (U.S.A.) Agricultural Experiment Station. 



Aspidiotus Hartii, new species. — Female scales irregular, subcircular to 

 oval, about 1| mm. diameter, moderately convex, dull brownish-grey, with a 

 slight purplish tint ; first skin partly covered or entirely exposed, shining pale 

 straw colour, nearly central. Removed from the plant the scales leave a con- 

 spicuous white mark, without any black ring. Male scales coloured like those 

 of the female, small, elongate, with the exuviae near one end. 



Female brown, becoming pale lemon yellow when boiled in caustic soda. 

 Five groups of ventral glands, caudolaterals of 6 to 7, cephalolaterals of 9, median 

 of about 4. Anal orifice posterior to level of caudolateral groups, but some 

 distance from hind end. No long tubular glands at bases of lobes. Two pairs of 

 lobes only ; median large with parallel sides and gently rounded subtruncate 

 ends, slightly diverging, not contiguous, obscurely notched at end towards outer 

 side. Second lobes similar in shape, but much smaller. Two rather stout 

 branched plates between median lobes and two between first and second lobes ; 

 margin cephalad of second lobe with first three stout strongly branched plates 

 close together, then three equally long but not so stout and only slightly branched 

 plates further apart. Then two very slender small plates, then a long interval, 

 then the margin coarsely serrate, with about six serrations. 



