1889.] 277 



have had further opportunities of studying more species of each 

 genus, in order to fully appreciate on what differences of characters 

 the various species are based. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE IV. 



Pig. 1. — Dactylopius citri, Boisd., $ , ventral view. 

 „ 2. — Ditto ditto $ , dorsal view. 



„ 3. — Sprig of Oleander, populated with Lecanium olece (natural size). 

 „ 4. — Lecanium olece, Bern., $ , adult. 

 „ 5. — Ditto ditto ? , early stage. 



N.B. — With the exception of fig. 3, the above are all magnified about 11 diameters. 

 My original figures were drawn with an exact magnification of 11 diameters, 

 but, on being re-drawn, the artist slightly increased the size of the figures. 



Yilla Nova de Gaya, Portugal : 



February 17th, 1889. 



Enquiry for scales of Coccids on oaks. — There are on the continent of Europe 

 several species of Coccida {Lecanium) living on the common oak that very probably 

 exist also in Britain, though hitherto unnoticed. These scales are brown in colour, 

 of the size of a large pea, globose, subcordate or flattened-oval in form ; some also 

 having a pad of cottony matter beneath and behind them (Pulvinaria). They 

 project from the bark to which they are attached, and will be found, as a rule, near 

 the termination of last year's shoots among the buds, or in the axils of the small 

 lateral shoots and old leaves. I should feel greatly obliged if searchers for Cynips- 

 galls, or other persons who, by chance, may meet with such excrescences will send 

 them to me, attached to the wood as they find them ; packed in a box or otherwise 

 protected from injury. I will gladly repay the postage. "I wonder if it is of any 

 use to make this request ?" said I to a friend. " Try," said he. So, like Micawber, 

 " I am waiting for something to turn up." If they should come in June (though 

 that would be rather late for the examination of the insect inside) they would not 

 be objected to, and they need not be limited in quantity. — J. W. Douglas, 8, 

 Beaufort Gardens, Lewisham : April 8th, 1889. 



Enquiry for Diaspis visci inhabiting mistletoe. — In his " Enumeratio Insectorum 

 Austria?," p. 296 (1781), Schrank described the ? of Coccus visci, obtained from 

 leaves of mistletoe (Viscum album), which fell to the ground when shaken from the 

 plant. The scales (white with a yellow centre) were orbicular, and scarcely half a 

 line in diameter. In the " Verhandl. zool.-botan. Gesells. Wien," xii, 110, Dr. Eranz 

 Low referred this to the genus Aspidiotus, and in the same work xxii, 273 (1872), 

 he re-described it as Diaspis visci, the scale of the $ being of an elongate, unicari- 

 nate form, with figures on tab. iv. The object of the present note is to say that I 

 shall be greatly obliged to any one who has access to mistletoe, if he will kindly 

 send to me any such scales that he can find, for I have no doubt that the species 

 occurs in this country. — Id. : April \§th, 1889. 



