Maskell. — On Coccididae. 89 



is about equal to the fourth, fifth, and sixth together ; the hairs 

 on the joints are short. Feet having the tibia twice as long as 

 the tarsus ; digitules fine knobbed hairs ; the hairs of the foot 

 are longer than those of the antennae. Epidermis bearing 

 great numbers of circular spinnerets interspersed with spiny 

 hairs. Anal tubercles very minute, with long setae ; anal 

 ring compound, with six long hairs. 



Hab. In India, on mulberry. Mr. Cotes has sent me 

 specimens without definitely naming a locality ; he only says 

 that it is prevalent in the silk districts of Bengal. 



I have been particular in giving some of the characters of 

 this insect, because it has not hitherto been reported, except 

 by Signoret and Bouche. The former had it on pine-apple 

 from Zanzibar ; the latter on Canna, Hibiscus, dc, probably 

 from South America. I am unable to say whether in Bengal 

 the mulberry may be its proper food, or whether it migrated 

 to that tree from tropical plants growing in the neighbour- 

 hood. My specimens correspond so very nearly with the 

 description given by Signoret that I am compelled to identify 

 them as D. bwmelics. There is an insect described by Mr. 

 Douglas (Ent. Mo. Mag., July, 1889, p. 317), under the name 

 D. tlieobromcB, which seems to be also exceedingly near this 

 species ; but there are a few differences in the antennal joints 

 which may separate it, though I incline rather to consider it as 

 a variety only. 



Dactylopius calceolarise, Maskell. 



I have received from the Rev. Mr. Colenso, of Napier, 

 specimens of this insect, surrounded by much cotton, on 

 leaves of Cordylina australis at that place. Mr. Colenso 

 informs me that they are doing much damage to the trees, 

 which are of large size. The insects affect chiefly the bases 

 of the leaves, where, on account of their sheltered position, it 

 would be difficult to get at them. 



Mr. Cockerell has sent me a drawing of the foot of a Dacty- 

 lopius found on sugar-cane in Northern Mexico which exactly 

 corresponds with the foot of D. calceolaria. I see no reason 

 why the species should not be identical, as I reported D. cal- 

 ceolaria on sugar-cane from Fiji in 1889. 



Dactylopius pose, Maskell. 



Mr. W. Smith, of Ashburton, has sent me specimens of this 

 species taken from ant-nests at Mount Somers, Canterbury, 

 but I am inclined to think that their habitation was merely 

 an accidental one. There are four known subterranean Dacty- 

 lopids in New Zealand — Dact. poce, Dact. arecce, Bipersia 

 rumicis, and Mipersia formicicola. Only the last of these 

 seems to be connected specially with ants — at least, it is the 



