1897.] 95 



Mr. Poulton exhibited crystals of formate of lead obtained by collecting the 

 secretion of the larva of Dicranura vinula on 283 occasions. The secretion had been 

 mixed with distilled water in which oxide of lead was suspended. The latter dissolved, 

 and the acid of the secretion being in excess the normal formate was produced. 

 Prof. Meldola promised to subject the crystals to combustion, so that their constitu- 

 tion would be proved by the final test. 



Mr. Oliver Janson called attention to Mr. Fryer's new work, " Rhophalocei-a 

 Nihonica," and to the fact that the illustrations had been executed by Japanese 

 artists. — H. Goss, Hon. Secretary. 



NOTE ON SOME BRITISH COCCID^ (No. 8). 

 BT J. W. DOUGLAS, F.E.S. 



Lecanium beaumonti^, n. sp. 



? scale oval or obovate, very convex, light brown, the surface closely covered with 

 minute whitish dots ; on each side, at some distance from either end and from each 

 other, two more or less strong transverse ridges, outwardly going, almost at a right 

 angle, to the margin, inwardly joined to a strong longitudinal dorsal ridge, which some- 

 times extends beyond them in a less degree to the anterior and posterior margin ; 

 the margin all round somewhat broad and flattened. On the dorsal ridge is a series 

 (three or four) of conspicuous white tubercular points, sometimes in two rows, and 

 the lateral ridges are similarly furnished ; in some mature examples the lateral 

 ridges are almost obsolete, but their position is indicated by the raised white points. 

 Antennae too imperfect to describe. 



Considerably like L. filicum, but smaller, and very distinct from that and all 

 other species by reason of the white points on all the ridges. 



Length, 3, breadth, 1"75 mm. 



On a young terminal shoot of Beaumontia grandifiora, a native 

 of the East Indies, received fx'om the Royal Grardens, Kew, in 

 February, these scales were thickly clustered. The young scales were 

 pale and moved about freely ; the mature scales (of which there w^ere 

 but few) contained numerous white eggs. No male scales. 



Lecanium testudo. 



Coccus testudo, Curtis, Gard. Chron., 1843, p. 444, and fig. 



" $ . Adult, oval, very convex, dark brown, and from the similarity to a tortoise, 

 I have named this scale Coccus testudo : there is an elevated ridge along the back, 

 •with two transverse ones, the first being nearest the middle, the second towards the 

 tail ; the whole of the surface is finely shagreened, with small white tufts scattered 

 over the whole. The under-side of the scale has a broadish margin, which is 

 ciliated, and there is a long cleft at the tail ; the skin of the body is concave, dark, 

 with a purplish tinge, with six minute legs and a largish lobe towards the anterior 

 portion, which is furnished with a fine proboscis " (Curtis, I. c). 



To this may be added — length, 3 — 4, breadth, 2 — 3 mm. ; antennae pale, 8- 

 jointed ; legs unicolorous with the body ; the margin of the scale, seen from be- 



