444 JOURNAL OP ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 2 



Besides the above long list of American synonyms, Dr. P. Marchal 

 in his excellent treatise on European scale insects has designated the 

 following European species as synonyms, viz., vini Bouche, 1844 

 rosarum Snell v. Voll., 1862; mori Sign., 1873; coryli Sign., 1873 

 rugosum Sign., 1873; wistarice Sign., 1873; saroiJiamui Dougl., 1891 

 assimile Newst., 1892 ; rehi King, 1901 ; persicce Newst., 1903 ; persicce 

 var, coryli Newst., 1903 ; persicm var. sarothamni Newst., 1903. 



What Muse guided the minds of entomologists while describing 

 this species under its various aliases, the writer scarcely dares con- 

 jecture. A certain spell of belief or unbelief, whichever you may 

 choose, must have worked its charm at the psychological moment 

 causing each new lot of specimens from a new locality or food-plant 

 to appear as specifically distinct. 



We have also, as bases for new species, exceedingly careful measure- 

 ments to the thousandth part of a millimeter, of the segments of the 

 antennae w^hich may be 6-segmented on one side and 7-segmented on 

 the other side of the same scale, or in the case of a parasitized specimen 

 may be 8-segmented or only 5-segmented. 



Then again we have what may be designated as "honor" species, 

 since more valid reasons for their existence seem to be lacking, such 

 as fitchii, lintneri, websteri, etc. It is well that the integrity and 

 honor of those bearing these names will not be shattered by the down- 

 fall of the species dedicated to them. 



For several years the writer has carefully added species after species 

 to the synonymy of this exceedingly common Lecanium, only after 

 examining the types or cotypes. The writer has studied the types of 

 all the above names with the exception of four, and in those cases 

 similar topotypic material was seen. Sufficient breeding work in 

 transferring species from tree to tree, with their attendant changes in 

 appearance, was carried out to convince the writer that his observa- 

 tions on the behavior of the cottony maple scale were almost duplicated 

 in this species. Remarkable changes are wrought in the individual 

 scales when transferred to a new host plant. 



The synonymy of these species with L. cerasifex Fitch has been in 

 hand for some time, but only this year, by means of material from 

 Europe and with the aid of Dr. Paul Marchal 's excellent studies on 

 European Lecaniums,^ has the writer included this entire synonymy 

 under L. corni Bouche. 



This common species which occurs on so many of our economic and 



*Notes sur les Cochenilles de I'Europe, Ann. Soc. Ent. France, Vol. LXXVII, 

 pp. 223-309 (1908). Plate and text figures. 



