28 [July- 



until the insect is nearly or quite dead, and then the markings have 

 disappeared. He also states that scales he received from Florence 

 (which I take to have been the typical form) were oval, a little 

 elongated anteriorly, and having two depressions in the region of the 

 lateral carinse (as appears in his figure 11) : this form I do not find. 

 At first I was inclined to describe my examples as a new species, under 

 the name of L. simulans, but as the other characters given are present, 

 and in view also of the variation admitted by Signoret, I have con- 

 cluded that there are scarcely sufiicient grounds to establish a distinct 

 species. Tet it may be that if one had all the forms before him 

 contemporaneously, two or three good species might be determined. 



Signoret attributes the name depressum to Targioni - Tozzetti 

 (" Studii sulle Cocciuiglie," p. 29, and " Catalog," p. 37), and doubtless 

 correctly, but as in neither place is the species described, the reference 

 cannot be cited : Signoret I'eally first described the species. 



I had the scales, in April and May, from Mr. S. Stevens, on 

 leaves of Ficiis elastica and camellias, and from other sources on 

 leaves of camellias. Signoi'et obtained his examples from Florence 

 ou leaves of Ficus marticinensis, and in Paris on Ficus elastica. 

 Maskell finds the scales in greenhouses (the plants not mentioned) in 

 New Zealand, stating it is an imported species. (Trans. N. Z. Inst., 

 xi, 206, 1S7S). 



Lecanium filicum. 



Chermes filicum, Boisd., Ent. Hort., p. 336. 



Lecani ttni filicum, Sign., Ess. Cochin., p. 266, pi. xii, fig. 8. 



? . Scale short, broad-oval, very convex, smooth, with two anterior and two 

 posterior slight blunt carinse going rather obliquely fi-om the back to the margin, 

 thus interrupting the curve of the contour, and sometimes two or three short and 

 sharp vertical carinfe at the sides joining the margin, which is broad and flat. 

 Antennce of eight joints, the 3rd the longest. The articulation of the tarsi with the 

 tibise is very distinct, as Signoret observes. When alive the colour is reddish- 

 brown, becoming paler or yellowish after death. 



I have long known this species from various cultivated ferns, but 



could not determine it with certainty ; for while Signoret (/. c.) says ; 



"celle-ci offre des carenes dorsales," his figure shows the carinas to be : 



obliquely transverse across the sides. However, having received some 



scales from Dr. Signoret, I can now identify the species. It is like 



L. hemisphcericum in having a flattened margin, but is distinguished 



from it in having carinfe, and, as a rule, it is smaller. It is also 



related to i. hilenuiculorum, which is larger, darker, and without 



margin. 



8, Beaufort Gardens, Lewisham : 

 Mai/, 1887. 



