190 Mr. E. E. Green on 



Examples from Egypt, also occurring on a species of 

 Acacia^ agree with those from the Cape in general appearance 

 and structure, including the characters of the anal tubercle 

 and stigmatic clefts. They are not in sufficiently good con- 

 dition to allow of a critical examination of the antennas. 



Ceroplastes afrt'canus, var. cristatuSj no v. 

 (PI. IV. fig. 2.) 



There are in the collection examples from Natal, labelled 

 " Giam Insect Wax," differing from the type only in the 

 presence of a small dorsal crest corresponding to the position 

 of the central scar described above. These examples are 

 larger than either the Egyptian specimens or those from the 

 Cape, and may be distinguished by the varietal name 

 crt'status. The waxy test has a diameter of 12 millim. The 

 denuded female measures 6 millim. long, 5'25 millim. broad, 

 and 4 25 millim. high. 



Ceroplastes cert'ferus, Anderson. 

 (PI. IV. figs. 3-3 b.) 



The original description of ceriferus by Anderson deals 

 with the external characters of the insect only. Maskell 

 points out (Trans. N. Z. Instit. 1893, p. 216, pi. xii. 

 figs, 13, 16) that the anal scales in this species are situate on 

 a horn-like process. I have noticed this peculiar character 

 in typical examples from India and Ceylon (see figs. 3, 3 a of 

 the accompanying Plate). Maskell goes on to remark that 

 this feature, together with the structure of the spiracular 

 spines, which he figures as sharply constricted at the base, 

 leads him to the conclusion tiiat G. Fairmairn of Targioni is 

 identical with ceriferus of Anderson, the latter name having 

 precedence. Signoret figures Fairmairn on plate 7 (ix.), 

 fig. 7, of his ' Essai,' and shows the conical spiracular spines 

 as mounted on short pedicels, a character which is said to 

 occur also in Vinsonii, Sign. But in ceriferus I am con- 

 vinced that the spines are properly sessile and that the 

 appearance of a pedicel is unreal, being produced by the sub- 

 cutaneous tube leading inwards from the spine [vide fig. 3 h). 

 These tubes accompany the stigmatic spines in all the species, 

 but are more prominent in some than in others ; their 

 distinctness is also affected both by the age of the individual 

 under examination and by the method of preparation. 



Until typical examples of Fairmairii have been critically 

 exan)ined the two species should be retained. 



