28o 



covefed with flocculence. The nymphs have elongate heads, but 

 feebly so compared with the adult. 



In the Pockilloptcridac, Swezey has partially worked out the 

 life-history of the North American Ormenis scptcntrionalis, while 

 the allied Sihhanta acuta has been partially worked out by my- 

 self in these islands. 



In the Sinhalese Phroiniiia iiiargiiiclla (Fabr.), the eggs are laid 

 in considerable numbers in the bark of the twigs of Elaeodciidron 

 and are apparently thickly covered with flocculent matter. The 

 nymphs cluster like sheep* on the plant and thickly 

 covered by the white flocculent matter. This is by no means 

 true wax, as it consists of fibrous matter, which does not melt, 

 but decomposes when heated and does not dissolve in naphtha. 

 This flocculence is very characteristic of the Fulgoroidea, being 

 more or less present in almost all (all ?) forms. In some (Cixiiis 

 etc.) it forms a short broad appendage to the body; in Phromnia, 

 Phcnax, Lystra and others it is long, even enormously long, as 

 much as 5 inches in Phenax auriconia, both in nymphs and adults. 

 Sharp states (Insects II 576) that this "wax" is used by the 

 Chinese for candles and other purposes and is said to be much 

 esteemed in India. He is however, merely repeating an old tale, 

 tiie error of which was exploded by Cotes in 1893. The Indian 

 flocculence is not commercially esteemed, and the Chinese wax 

 is manufactured from Coccids of the genera Ccroplasfcs and Eri- 

 ccrus. The metamorphoses of Phromnia have been figured in 

 part by Cotes. 



The as yet small and little known sub-family Amphiscepinae 

 (Acanaloniinae) seems to be a development of the Poekillopteri- 

 nae (Flatinae) in the direction of disintegration of the tegminal 

 venation ; the posterior tibiae are spineless (or at least only 

 bristly) in the adult, but Swezey, who has partly worked out the 

 life-history of the North American Amphisccpa bk'itfafa, has dis- 

 covered an interesting fact, viz : that the nymphs have three 

 spines on the posterior tibiae like the typical Poekillopterinae. 

 Auiphisccpa, however, was placed 1)y Stal in the Issinae.** 



(b) FLIGHT ORGANS. 



Leaf-Hoppers seem, as a rule, to be nocturnal, flying and 

 feeding at that time. The power of flight, however, may be said 



* The natives of Garhwal in India "cat the suRary secretion and call the insect 

 Dhaberi, i. e. "sheep," on account of their habit of clustering together and jumping 

 away when disturbed." (Cotes, j). 07) 



** The life history of the T:^TnMVK\>\G Brtukomorpha oculata is recorded as having 

 been related bv Uhler in the Standard Nat. Hist. II, 2:^4. 



