December, '14] RUST: NOTES ON COCCID^ FOUND IN PERU 467 



due to the alkalinity of the solution. The writer's experience in hand- 

 ling the spray simply verifies the correctness of Shafer's statement 

 that ''the so-called caustic action of the wash on the hands seems rather 

 due to its strong reducing power (power to absorb oxygen) ^ than to 

 the alkahnity of the solution." It is very possible that this reducing 

 power may also cause the softening of the so-called wax on the scale 

 insects. If this be true, the "oxygen" number mentioned above 

 would give its quantitative measurement. At any rate, the power of 

 the spray to soften the so-called wax is evidently due to some property 

 of the polysulfides and in the light of present knowledge no definite 

 statement can be made regarding its exact nature nor its exact quanti- 

 tative analytical measurement. 



In conclusion, the writer wishes to state that the above discussion 

 is merely a suggestion to chemists and entomologists. There may be 

 other insecticidal properties of the spray than those mentioned and 

 it is possible that the ordinary methods of valuation now in use are 

 the best. If not, the discussion given here may prove to be of some 

 value. 



NOTES ON COCCID^ FOUND IN PERU 



By E. W. Rust, Assistant Government Entomologist, Lima 



Prior to the year 1909 very little entomological work had ever been 

 done in Peru and, «,s a consequence, very little was known and almost 

 nothing had been published relative to the insect life of this country. 

 However, during the latter part of the year just mentioned, the Peru- 

 vian government established a bureau of entomology under the able 

 guidance of Prof. C. H. T. Townsend. Among the many activities 

 of the latter was the beginning of a collection of Coccidse from as many 

 hosts as possible and from all parts of the Republic, with complete 

 notes relating to each lot of specimens. 



When the writer arrived, during the latter part of 1911, this collec- 

 tion already numbered hundreds of lots of specimens, at that time all 

 unidentified, many of which were of the same species but upon differ- 

 ent hosts or from different localities. Since that time the collection 

 has been greatly augmented both by Professor Townsend and by the 

 writer whose pleasant task it has been to determine the species repre- 

 sented. 



In many cases the coccids herein noted have never before been 

 reported from South America and with the exception of only two or 

 three species, this constitutes the first publication of their occurrence 



1 Words in parenthesis inserted by the author. 



