Masxetu.—On New Zealand Coecide. 925 
pogon fraseri, on which Planchonia epacridis is found, are often pretty closely 
imbricated, and there would be considerable difficulty for the male to 
impregnate the female if the abdomen of the latter were turned towards the 
stem of the plant. By turning the abdomen towards the tip of the leaf the 
male may with ease reach the female through the opening, just mentioned, 
between the portions of the test. Accordingly, in several scores of speci- 
mens which I have examined, the abdominal extremity of the test is directed 
to the tip of the leaf. 
The test, in all cases which I have seen, is of two colours: one half, at 
the cephalic end, is dark green, the other, or abdominal half, is bright yellow. 
All round the edge runs, as in the second stage, a long silver fringe in 
double row, one row over the other. The contrast of these colours with the 
dark reddish-brown of the leaf is extremely beautiful. Average length of 
the test i's to +, inch, exclusive of fringe. 
The insect fills the whole test until gestation, after which it shrivels up, 
as in the Lecanio-diaspide, towards the cephalicend. Itis, therefore, convex 
above, flat below. Antenna, as in the second stage, reduced to rings with 
hairs (fig. 84). Feet entirely absent. The four spiracles are somewhat 
large: there are no spiracular spines as in Lecaniwm. Anal tubercles small, 
each bearing a seta: anal ring with six hairs. Along the edge of the body 
18 @ row of the figure-of-8 spinnerets, as shown in fig. 86: and all over the 
dorsal surface are a large number of simple circular spinneret orifices from 
which the test is secreted. Also a number of protruding tubes which stand 
out irregularly over the body like minute fingers, each cylindrical with a 
slight expansion at the tip. The mentum is uni-articulate, globular: the 
rostral sete are short. 
On Leucopogon fraseri, as yet only from Amberley, where it seems to be 
pretty abundant in one locality. 
Having been obliged to send back to France my copy of M. Signoret’s 
work on the Homoptera (the only work of reference available for the order 
at Present), I am unable to say positively that Planchonia epacridis is a new 
‘pecies. It is possible too that I may have been mistaken in assigning its 
Seneric position, for I am not clear that the European Planchonia has not a 
felted, instead of a waxy or glassy test. Of course such a difference would 
be radical, because the secretion of wax and the secretion of felted matter 
would mean a different description of organs. However, the oceur- 
rence of the insect in a locality far removed from imported plants would 
seem to point to its being, at least, indigenous. I found it always on 
hice a growing amongst the tussacks and native plants, with only 
there a rare specimen of English grass or clover, from neither of 
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