VOL. III.] Alexican Ceroplastes. 255 



by necessity. At the present moment M. Kuntze's much to be re- 

 gretted work involves just such a necessity. The BerHn committee 

 understand this, and in the Hst of names to be rejected and names to 

 be preserved, in spite of the law of priority, it has accomplished a 

 difficult task, for which gratitude is due to it. Its propositions are 

 a development of our laws of nomenclature, such as should be made 

 when abuses crop in or when negligence is discovered in the com- 

 pilation of 1867. I have myself given utterance to ideas of that 

 nature, from which I hope good results, although the action of an 

 isolated individual must always be slower than that of a committee. 

 Accept, dear sir and fellow member, the assurance of my cordial 

 esteem. Alph. de Candolle. 



NOTES ON TWO MEXICAN SPECIES OF CEROPLAS- 

 TES, WITH A RECORD OF PARASITES REARED 

 FROM ONE. 



BY C. H. TYLER TOWNSEND. 



The two scales below mentioned have been sent to me by Dr. 

 Alfredo Duges, from the vicinity of Guanajuato, Mexico. To Dr. 

 Duges also is due the credit for the information given regarding 

 food-plants. 



Ceroplastes dugesii J. Licht. — Found at Guanajuato " more com- 

 monly on Malvaviscus arboreus Cav. and M. acerif alius Presl. , two 

 shrubs of about 3 or 4 metres height; and accidentally on adjoining 

 shrubs" This is a large species, nearly white, sub-hemispherical, 

 showing no division into plates, the white waxy secretion being very 

 susceptible to pressure and filled with a watery liquid. Specimens 

 kept dry for months do not lose this liquid in the least degree. 

 Those sent measure in length, 9 to 11 mm.; width, 7 to g mm.; 

 height, 5 to 8 mm. 



Ceroplastes sp. — Found "on Bigiionia ( buccinatoria? ) , and 

 Chrysanthemum ■aX. Guanajuato." This is quite a different species 

 in appearance. It considerably resembles C cirripediformis , but 

 is more than twice as large. The waxy secretion is not so white 

 as in C. dugesii, but more of a dirty gray in color, not so soft, dryer, 

 and is very distinctly marked off into plates, much resembling in 

 general form the carapace of the box-turtle ( Cistudo). There is 

 a dorsal, central, rounded plate, with a central black navel-like 



