342 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



than the pupse from which their English and German grand- 

 parents came last spring. Possibly this increase of size is in a 

 slight degree owing to my having given the larvse a considerable 

 change of diet, which I have found very useful in checking the 

 deterioration caused by breeding in and in. This is quite in 

 conformity with what might have been expected, in accordance 

 with the views of Darwin and Wallace, as to the advantages 

 arising from a change of physical conditions. I add that the 

 benefit of crossing, &c., showed itself in the summer emergence, 

 the pupte of which were nearly as heavy as those of their 

 English and German parents. 



24, Vernon Terrace, Brighton : Oct. 18th, 1901. 



A NEW LAC-INSECT FEOM SOUTH AFRICA. 

 By T. D, a. Cockerell and G. B. King. 



Tachardia actinella, n. sp. 



$ . Scale about 3 mm. long, 3 broad, and scarcely 2 high, vouuded 

 and depressed, dark crimson, with about sixteen strong but obtuse 

 radiating yellowish white ridges ; centre of scale formed as in T. decor - 

 ella. The scales are mostly separate, but sometimes two or more 

 coalesce. 



$ . Dark red, 2^ mm. long, Ih broad ; bright pink when boiled in 

 caustic potash ; this colour is due to the internal juices, the sldu being 

 perfectly colourless. Antennye stout, cylindrical, pale, about 140 ^w 

 long, 52 broad at base, 36 in middle, 28 at end, obscurely four-jointed. 

 Lac-glands with over 60 orifices. Mouth-parts about 141 /x broad. 

 Spine well-developed, 120 /x long, rapidly enlarging 36 jx from tip to a 

 very broad (95 i/.) base. Anal ring with 10 long bristles ; chitinous 

 anal plate roughly semicircular, posteriorly with a deep linear incision 

 60 /x long ; on each side of the anal plate is an elongated pi'ocess 

 terminating in two sharp spines, the structure being apparently the 

 result of a fold in the plate. Anteriorly, the anal plate is tuberculated. 



3 . Scale cylindrical, elongated, of the usual form ; dark red. 



Hah. Natal, on bark of undetermined tree ; uncommon 

 {Claude Fuller, No. 19). The, scale might be taken for T. decor- 

 ella, Maskell, but that Australian species has no antennae, and 

 the spine (according to Maskell' s figure) is not broadened at the 

 base. 



