ABEJmANT FOliM Oh' COCCID.E. 403 



ovate, narrowed posteriorly, quite opaque, wliite or very pale greenish, thus dilFering in 

 colour from the ovisac. The inner surface of the walls is smooth, the outer surface 

 rough. Externally there are a number of white threads similar to those secreted by the 

 female ; they are more numerous near the anterior end. Their presence in this structure 

 formed by the male is interesting. The microscopic composition of the puparium is 

 much like that of the felted parts of the ovisac, but there is no disposition into more 

 opaque and more translucent portions. The puparia are empty, each having a neat, 

 transverse slit at the posterior end, where the male has emerged (PI. 34, tig. 8, a). 



The mycelium of an Ascomycete fungus is found ramifying in the walls of some of the 

 puparia and ovisacs, and outside the bases of some of the latter. The dark masses of 

 spores formed in the mycelium appear as sooty-looking specks. Within one of the closed 

 ovisacs mentioned above were a number of dried and empty perithecia of the fungus. 

 Mr. R. H. Biffen, who has kindly examined the fungus, states that, although he has found 

 no ascospores, the form of the perithecia and spore-masses in the mycelium are strongly 

 conclusive of its being a species of Capnodlum. Newstead * states that the honey-dew 

 secreted by British Coccids is almost invariably attacked, shortly after deposition, by a 

 fungus of the genus Meliola. This is allied to Ccqmodium. Berlese t also speaks of 

 fungi habitually accompanying Coccids on plants. It is therefore probable that the 

 fungus in question nourishes itself on certain excretory products of the Algerian 

 Coccid. 



It should be mentioned that a single dried-up female specimen was found entangled 

 in the mass of threads belonging to another individual, and that it contained within its 

 shrivelled integument a number of oblong-ovoid bodies, also in a desiccated condition. 

 The specimen was one of those preserved in formalin, and must tlieref6re have been dead 

 and desiccated at the time when the infected plant was found. Its condition unfor- 

 tunately makes it impossible to ascertain the nature of the ovoid bodies which it 

 contains. 



Cei'cococcus eremohius was found in the desert, on a plant which is essentially a 

 desert-plant. The greatest peculiarity about the insect is the thick covering of white 

 threads, corresponding to which is the large development of cutaneous glands. An 

 analogy is suggested between this character and that of those numerous desert-plants 

 which are clothed with hairs, which serve them in good stead by preventing excessive 

 loss of moisture ; and it is possible that the covering of threads may benefit the insect in 

 the same manner that the hairs benefit the plants. It may be emphasised again that 

 they can hardly serve any purpose of protective similarity to surroundings, since they 

 form conspicuous white masses on the twigs. Since the locality where the creature was 

 found is by no means inaccessible, it is to be hoped that before long fresh supplies of 

 material will be obtained, including both sexes and all stages, so that the whole life- 

 history of this interesting insect can be elucidated. 



* 'Monograph of British Coccidse,' Hay See. vol. i. p. li». 



t .A.. Berlese, ' Le Coccinislie Italiane,' pt. i. p. 4:i [ex Kiv. I'at. Veg. vol. ii. Xo. 1-8]. 



SECOND SERIES. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. IX. 66 



