1893.J ■ 187 



margin, ends rounded ; second lobe deeply emarginate on both sides ; third lobe 

 very small, often emarginate at base on both sides, and presenting the form of a 

 spear-head. Between the first and second lobe, and near the base of the former, is 

 a strong spine, and immediately following each of the second and third lobes are 

 two spines arranged close together ; about midway between the last pair and the 

 base of the segment are one or two shorter spines. There are also scattered 

 spinnerets, as shown in the fig. Groups of spinnerets and plates wanting, and fre- 

 quently the spines are broken away. Described from 13 ? , and many scales. 



S scale smaller, but of the same colour as the ? . 



Unfortunately, I cannot at present furnish the name of the food-plant, as the 

 label has been mislaid, but our Demerara correspondents will no doubt be able to 

 do so. 



Dacttlopius nip^, Maskell. 



Trans. N. Z. Instit., 1892, p. 232 (1893) . 



$ adult, short oval, covered with yellowish- white cereous matter, arranged 

 almost in the same way as in the genus OrtTiezia, but much less compact ; margin 

 all round with a series of downward-curved, broad, laterally joined, lamellae, longest 

 behind ; dorsum rarely presenting regular plates : when such is the case, however, 

 they are ari'anged in thick squarish masses, with the body of the insect showing 

 through the divisions ; generally, the dorsum is covered with one conglomerate mass, 

 with little or no segmentation. 



When the insect is treated with potash, it gives off a dark reddish-crimson 



stain, and the shape of the body is short oval, but widest behind. Antennae of seven 



joints (fig. 3) ; rostrum biarticulate, short, widely rounded at apex, the latter with 



two long, and two or more short, delicate hairs. Legs (fig. 3a) : trochanter with a 



rather long hair, femur with a short hair, both near the apex ; tibiae a very little 



longer than the tarsi, the latter with two fine hairs at apex ; digitules to claws and 



tarsi slender, and short ; the tarsal pair scarcely extending beyond the claw ; anal 



lobes (figs. 36 and Zbb) very large, each with a long hair at apex, and near them on 



the outer margin are two short stiff spines ; anal ring with six long hairs (fig. 3c) ; 



dorsum with large and small spines, arranged irregularly and wide apart, and some 



similar on the margin. 



Long., 1 — 2 mm. (when denuded of waxy plates, a little smaller). 



S sac pure white, composed of a rather loose felting. 



d unknown. The S sacs were very abundant, but the imagines had liatched 

 from them wlien received. 



Hah. : on Nipa fruticans, an aquatic palm, and is said to be 

 " very destructive." 



I am very doubtful as to the position this species should occupy. 

 In the form of the antennal joints it is clearly JDactylopid, but the 

 very conspicuous anal lobes are abnormal. "Were it not for the curious 

 granular covering of the body, and the long terminal joint of the 

 antennae, I would refer it to the genus Hhizococciis, but the characters 

 given by Mr. Maskell (Trans. N. Z. Inst., 1891, p. 30) will not admit 

 of my placing it in the Acanthococcidce. 



