THE WEST INDIAN SPECIES OF CEROPLASTES. 81 



The Adiantum scale is referred only with doubt to floridensis, 

 because it seems probable that we have a second species of this 

 group in Jamaica, living on ferns. On February 20th, 1892, 

 Dr. H. Strachan gave me some scales found in Kingston on a 

 tree fern. Of these I noted : length 4, breadth 3, height 2^ mill. ; 

 colour pale grey, juveniles white. The shape suggests cirripedi- 

 formis, but the apex white, not ringed with dark. This is surely 

 the same insect as that doubtfully referred to C. vinsoni in 

 ' Timehri,' Dec. 1889, p. 312, found in British Guiana on ferns. 

 I do not think it is C. vinsoni, but will not venture to describe it 

 as a new species. 



Group 3. 

 Ceroplastes cirripediformis, Comstock, 1881. 



I found many specimens of this on Solanum in Kingston, 

 Jamaica ; always on the stems, never on the leaves. The Solanum 

 is a large species, with edible fruit, known as soushumber. Mr. 

 Barber sent me a young specimen found on Eranthemum at 

 Antigua, which seemed in all things identical with cirripediformis. 



C. psidii, Chav., and C. janeirensis, Gray, are two supposed 

 species from Brazil. Judging from the published figures and 

 descriptions, they are hardly to be separated, as Signoret sur- 

 mises. They are also evidently very close to C. cirripediformis. 



Ceroplastes jamaicensis, A. White, 1846. 



Found by Gosse at Basin- Spring, Jamaica, and quite insuffi- 

 ciently described by White. So far as the description goes, it 

 indicates a species very similar to C. cirripediformis and G. psidii. 



Ceroplastes depressus, n. sp. 



? Scale : long. 5, lat. about 5, alt. 2 mm. 



Near to cirripediformis, but flatter, larger, and circiUar, or nearly so ; 

 one end more or less truncate. Central area oval, dark purplish brown, with 

 an apparent minute white point, due to a white light on a shiny surface. 

 After this, proceeding outwards, a ring of whitish or dull white, and then an 

 obscure purplish ring, from which radiate purplish lines (2 each side, and 2 

 at one end) on a greyish ground. Chalky white marks round the margin 

 obscure. Under side dark red. 



Found by Mrs. E. M. Swainson at Kingston, Jamaica, under 

 the bark of a lignum-vitce tree, June 2nd, 1892, in company with 

 Icerya roses, R. & H. From it I bred a parasite, kindly identified 

 for me, by Mr. L. O. Howard, as Comys albicoxa, Ashmead. 



Further specimens, of various ages, are needed to complete 

 the description ; but the shape and external characters will 

 sufficiently indicate the species. It is evidently a derivative of 

 the psidii-grouit, adapted for living under bark. 



