2 IMr. F. Mnir and Dr. D. Sharp on 



most recent work on the family, Weise, in reviewing what 

 is known as tiie Natural History of the family, says that 

 " the longish eggs are deposited in small clumps fastened 

 to a leaf and surrounded with excrement so that they may 

 not become too dry." 



In the case of the African forms here described the eggs 

 are placed in a case that is built of membranes formed ot 

 a peculiar substance. In Cassida imiirana and the forms 

 allied to it the extremely small and imperfect ootheca is 

 covered with excrement, and I think it probable that obser- 

 vation of European Cassidas will show that the excrement 

 is not really placed directly on the eggs, as it is said to 

 be in books, but as in African forms, is placed on an 

 imperfect ootheca. The ootheca is of various degrees of 

 perfection in accordance with the species that forms it ; 

 and in the ootheca of Aspiclomorpha ])micticosta the struc- 

 ture is so elaborate and perfect that it surpasses even the 

 comb formed by bees and wasps. 



We will describe this ootheca at some length, and sub- 

 sequently deal with the less perfect structures formed by 

 some other S. African species. 



OOTHECA. 



1. Ai^iiidomorplia pimdicosta. 



PI. I, figs. 1— G and 9. 

 Fig. 1 gives a very good idea of this ootheca as it 

 appears attached to a fragment of t!ie leaf of Ipomcea 

 pescapvie and magnified two times. Fig. 2 gives a hori- 

 zontal section and fig. 3 a perpendicular one. It is 

 seen from fig. 2 that a large number of cells exist, 

 and the figures show that in four of the rows each of 

 the cells contains an egg. In the ootheca figured there 

 are about 80 eggs. The outer row of cells on each 

 side of the ejjg-case is different in form from the four 

 rows in the middle and contains no eggs. The struc- 

 ture is formed of nearly two hundred separate and distinct 

 membranes. One of tliese membranes is shown in fig. 4, 

 and two together in fig. 5. Before attempting to 

 explain the structure in greater detail, it will be well to 

 give the description of the mode in which the Insect pro- 

 ceeds in its formation. The beetle selects a suitable spot, 

 generally on the under-side of a leaf of /. pcscaprx. Having 

 taken up her position, she plants her anterior feet firmly, and 



