1900] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 595 



als may 3'et be found without this peculiarity ; and E. azalece 

 by the sac being covered with protruding filaments, and also by 

 the reddish-purple eggs, the usual color of the eggs in the genus 

 being pale yellow. The remaining species have closely- felted 

 sacs, very much alike, so that they can hardly be determined 

 from external characters. 



On microscopical examination E. qiiercus stands out promi- 

 nently from all the others by reason of its very long tibia, which 

 is conspicuously longer than the tarsus. The insect named 

 toiimeyi agrees herein with qiwrais, but differs in its longer 

 tarsus, and the generally smaller antennae. The measure- 

 ments of the antennal and segments of tojimeyi fall completely 

 within the range of variation of tinsleyi, but the legs and spines 

 are not at all as in that species. 



The normal number of antennal joints in North American 

 Eriococcus is seven, though yiegledus and palmeri have only six, 

 while dorea/z's varies from 7 to 8. In E. aravcarice, adenostomce 

 and dubius the tibia and tarsus are subequal in length ; but in 

 gillettei, tiyisleyi, azalece, cocci7ieus and borealis the tarsus is dis- 

 tinctly longer than the tibia. These characters of the legs and 

 antennae are useful but not always conclusive, owing sometimes 

 to their variability and sometimes to the fact that they are vir- 

 tually identical in really different species, as tinsleyi and larrece, 

 which differ greatly in the spines. 



From South America only one Eriococcus has been received, 

 viz. E. brasilietisis, Ckll. ined., found by Messrs. Hempel and 

 Von Ihering at Yprianga, Brazil, on Baccharis. It has 7-jointed 

 antennae ; formula 37 (24) 56 to 3 (72 ) (45) 6 ; 9 sacs cream 

 color, 2^-3 mm. long, closely felted. 



Kuhlgatz, in the Monatsschrift fiir Kakteenkunde, Jahrg. , 

 viii, p. 166 (1808), has described a Rhizococcus niultispiyiosus , 

 found on Opnntia vestita, a South American species of cactus. 

 This creature is manifestly an Eriococcus, and its name is unfor- 

 tunately similar to that of E. midtispinus , Maskell. However, 

 by its reddish color, 7-jointed antennae and proportion of joints, 

 and habitat on cacti, it resembles E. coccineus, of which it is 

 quite possibly a synonym. 



Note. — I will take this opportunity to raise the question 



