ORTHEZIA INSIGNIS. 239 



and its effect thereon : " The Chinese Strobilanthes 

 referred to * is S. flaccidifolius, Nees, . . . which was 

 received from Hong Kong in May, 1886. This plant 

 is not much affected by the Orthezia, whereas 8. gossy- 

 pinus and 8. cuspidatus, two Indian species introduced 

 by means of seeds received from Ootacamund in 1887, 

 have been much subject to it, as also are other species 

 of Strobilanthes from India and Ceylon. The only 

 plants upon which the Orthezia appears to thrive are 

 Manettia bicolor and Streptocarpus. No appreciable 

 harm is done to the plants by the Orthezia, even when 

 they are badly infested. It is the least harmful of all 

 the insects parasitical on plants at Kew. It has been 

 noticed in the tropical house for about ten years, but 

 we cannot trace its source. ... As far as Kew is 

 concerned, the Orthezia is rather a scientific curiosity 

 than a troublesome pest." Dr. Maxwell T. Masters, 

 the editor of the ' Gardener's Chronicle,' has sent the 

 species to me from the London district, on Goleus; and 

 Mr. B nekton (1. c.) says that the insect " appears to be 

 spreading over the hothouses of England, and seems 

 to be very difficult to annihilate. It does as much 

 mischief as the more common c mealy bug.' ' 



Habits. As I have had no opportunity of studying 

 the life-history of this coccid, I venture to give Mr. 

 Green's very interesting account of it as observed by 

 him in Ceylon. He says : " There appears to be a 

 constant succession of broods. I have examined 

 infected plants at all times of the. year, and have 

 always found the insects in all stages, from the newly- 

 hatched larva to the adult female. I have kept 

 individual females under observation. After the first 

 commencement of the formation of the ovisac a period 

 of three weeks elapses before the emergence of the 

 first larva, after which the young insects hatch out at 

 the rate of about five a day for a period of six weeks 

 or more, by which time the parent is exhausted and 

 dies ; and the earliest hatched larvae are mature and 



* Douglas, 1. c. 



