Maskell. — Oil Coccididae. 65 



Akt. II. — Furthej- Coccid Notes : loith Descriptions of several 

 New Species, and Discussion of various Points of Interest. 



By W. M. Maskell, Eegistrar of the University of New Zea- 

 land, Corr. Mem. Eoyal Society of South AustraHa. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 13th December, 1893.1 



Plates III.-VIII. 



Some of the insects dealt with in this paper are not inferior 

 in peculiarity and complexity to those which I have at various 

 times reported. I venture to think also that the discovery in 

 Australia of leery a cegyytiaca and of a very near variety of 

 Icerya roses is of general interest. Four at least of the forms 

 belonging to the genus Icerya are now known to inhabit 

 Australia, and it may be worth while to investigate the ques- 

 tion whether that country is not the original habitation of the 

 genus. That, however, would require to be done by some 

 Australian observer, and is beyond my power. 



I am constrained to refer to a point in connection with 

 the classification which I have laid down for the family 

 Coccidce, on account of a remark in a paper by Mr. J. G. O. 

 Tepper, of Adelaide, published in the " Transactions of the 

 Eoyal Society of South Australia," vol. xvii., part 2, Decem- 

 ber, 1893. The paper is on South Australian species of 

 BrachyscelincB, and at page 269 Mr. Tepper observes that 

 " Mr. Maskell added the genera Frenchia and Carter ia to the 

 Brachyscelidge, and described and figured Sphcerococcus and 

 Cylindrococcus as of uncertain position, but has lately formed 

 a new sub-family Idiococcince for their reception. On account 

 of a general sunilarity of habit, I consider that they should 

 also be included in the family. The first and two last form 

 woody galls similar in structure to those of Brachyscelis." 



Tlaere is an inaccuracy in the last sentence of this passage 

 which requires correction. Sphcerococcus does not at all 

 always form woody galls. The galls of S. leptospermi are 

 woody, and those of S. froggatti and S. pirogallis may be 

 called so too, but S. acacic3 and S. bambusce produce cotton 

 and wax. 



However, the main point is that Mr. Tepper would upset 

 my classification on account of "general similarity of habit." 

 I cannot by any means accept the suggestion. It is just this 

 sort of judgment by mere external appearance which it has 

 been my aim and endeavour to destroy and root out during 

 the eighteen years of my study of Coccids. A reliance upon 

 the appearance of a Coccid to the naked eye or under a 

 Coddington or Browning lens is calculated to lead to in- 

 5 



