20 Transact iuns. — Zoology. 



and when smooth its colour is nearly all that there is to 

 distinguish it to the naked eye, at least in the adult and larval 

 stages ; I have not been able to observe the second female 

 stage. But on close examination the arrangement of the 

 dorsal spines is sufficient to separate it. The three pairs on 

 the adult, and the five pairs on the larva, which I have found 

 to be constant in a large number of specimens examined, are 

 good characters. In B. viaculatiis the adult has no dorsal 

 spines, while the larva has twenty. As both of these species 

 affect the same genus of food-plant (though seemingly not the 

 same species), I am unable to look upon the variation of 

 habitat as sufficient to account for the differences observable. 

 At the same time I am not so clear on the point as to positively 

 insist on a specific separation of the two insects. 



Genus Eeiococcus, Targioni-Tozzetti. 



ErioGOcctis hoheris, Maskell. Scale-Ins. of N.Z., p. 93; 



N.Z. Trans., vol. xii., p. 298. 



Two apterous forms of the male of this species emerged in 

 May last from amongst a number of sacs, male and female, 

 sent to me by Mr. Eaithby. 



This apterous form is deep-red in colour, rather less than 

 ^in. in length, being thus smaller than the winged form. 

 The antennte have only nine joints, the head is not fully 

 separate from the thorax, and there seem to be only two simple 

 eyes. The abdominal spike is normal, though rather long, 

 and when the insect v,-as alive I could detect the penis ; the 

 tubercle at each side of the base of the spike is perhaps more 

 pronounced than in the winged form, and I could see no 

 cottony '-tails." The feet appear to be rather tliick and 

 swollen. Both specimens observed were very active, and as 

 far as could be seen were sufficiently apt for generation. 



I have already discussed {ante, under C. dysoxyli) the 

 general question of ajpterous males. There is this difference 

 between the present species and (I believe) all the others : that 

 in E. lioliericB the whole form is, so to speak, intermediate. 

 The junction of the head with the thorax, the nine-jointed 

 antenna, and the two simple e3'es, are clearly imperfections ; 

 whereas in other apterous species the only organs and charac- 

 ters wanting are the wings. I am unable to add to the present 

 paper a figure of this interesting and peculiar insect ; but will 

 endeavour to do so next year if I then publish a paper. 



Eriococcus multispinus, Maskell, var. Icevigatus, var. nov. 

 Mr. French has sent me an Australian insect which seems 

 to be only a variety of E. multispinus, distinguished by having 

 a smooth sac without the processes characterizing the New 

 Zealand species on Knightia. I attach it to the above species 



