88 



[September, 



this morning that four which have been undisturbed, have now each made a mass of 

 flocculent matter behind them considerably exceeding themselves in bulk, and in 

 the midst of which numerous ova are deposited ; these are of a pink-coral colour, 

 minutely spotted with a deeper tint, they are not adhesive either to each other or to 

 the substance upon which they are deposited. The specimens were sent by post, 

 leaving Natal about May 14th, and certainly had no food for two months; on the 

 way they deposited some thousands of ova, and they are still continuing the pro- 

 ceeding. If the flocculent material be removed, they appear to be able to reproduce 

 it in the course of a few days." 



PSETTDOCOCCUS ULICIS, n. sp. 



$ adult, oval, dull yellowish-green, plump, especially 

 on the upper-side, covered with white powder, less so on 

 the under-side, but the segmentation visible, the margin 

 all round set with a series of snow-white, short, obtuse, 

 horizontal projections, of which two at the anal extremity 

 are larger and somewhat longer ; a few fine hairs an- 

 terior to the rostrum, and one on each segment of the 

 body laterally ; no distinct anal ring, but there are a few 

 (apparently six) delicate hairs. Antennae (Fig. 1) yel- 

 lowish, short, fine, of nine joints ; 1st not short ; 2nd 

 one-third longer than 1st, longest of all ; 3rd nearly as 

 long as 2nd ; 4th very short, shortest of all ; 5th shorter 

 than 3rd (4th and 5th together equal to 3rd) ; 6th, 7th, 

 and 8th, each shorter than 5th, sub-equal, the apex a 

 little wider than the base ; 9th longer and thicker than 

 the preceding, the apex obtusely produced ; each joint 

 with simple projecting. hairs. Eyes small, simple. Legs 

 (Fig. 2) yellowish, with simple hairs ; tarsi one-third as 

 long as the tibiae ; claws short. The insect eventually 

 quite covered with a close, cottony, white material, which 

 appears to have a waxen base. 



Length, 2-75—3, breadth, 1-75 — 2 mm. 

 Male unknown. 



Signoret (Ess. Cochen., pp. 363—368) de- 

 scribes six species of Pseudococcus, but without 

 figures, viz., aceris, found on maple, hornbeam, 

 lime, and borse chestnut ; cesculi, on horse chestnut ; brunnitarsis, on 

 borage; Jiedercs, on ivy; mespili, on medlar; platani, on plane." The 

 present species differs from all of them, its specialities (in the $ ) 

 being, the notable shortness of the 4th joint of the antennae, the 

 bluntness of the short marginal processes, the compactness of the 

 ultimate covering, and the peculiarity of the habitat. 



Some years ago, in the autumn, when hunting on Blackheath for 

 Lepidoptera, I saw among the spines of a furze bush some white waxen 



Fig. 2. 



