292 Transactions. — Zoolofpj. 



I'liave also one or two slight errors to correct as to the Coccidae. In 

 Ctenochiton spinosus the upper digitules are not, as I stated, short ; they are 

 long, fine, knobbed hah's. In Acanthococcus multispmus and m Dactylopius 

 glaucns the lower digitviles are broad, as in Lecanium. 



Further, the insect described by me last year under the name Diasjns 

 (jiAjas, is not, as I think now, a Diaspis, but belongs to the genus Fiorinia, 

 Targioni-Tozzetti, where the pellicle of the second stage almost fills the 

 puparium. I, therefore, as the insect appears to be new, name it Fiorinia 

 astelicc. 



Before proceeding to describe the new species which I have obtained, I 

 may mention that Lecanium hesperiiiam seems to be doing less damage — 

 about Christchurch at least — than formerly. Many of the plants and hedges 

 which I have seen nearly destroyed by this insect, are now in much better 

 condition. In Europe and elsewhere the ravages of this insect appear to 

 have been intermittent, and there is no reason why the same should not be 

 the case here. Possibly the dry seasons which we have been suffering under 

 lately may have something to do with this. 



Mi/tMaspis pomorum, on the other hand, is increasing in numbers and 

 destructiveness. I know of scarcely a fi.'uit tree in our orchards (except the 

 cherry) which is not every year being more and more covered with this scale ; 

 and the quickset hedges are as much troubled with it as with the saw-fly larva 

 in autumn. Minute as the apple-scale is, its immense numbers must serioiisly 

 weaken and damage the trees ; and I recommend owners of orchards to employ 

 the remedy suggested in my former paper, namely, to paint over then- trees in 

 winter with a mixtm-e of two-thirds linseed oil to one-third kerosene. This 

 has, to my knowledge, succeeded admirably in instances where it has been 

 tried, as the oil insinuates itself between the bark of the tree and the 

 puparium of the insect, and so envelopes the eggs and the young that they 

 cannot get out, and so die. Care should, however, I believe, be taken to 

 perform this work only at the dead of winter, when the sap is not rising, 

 and when the tree is, so to speak, asleep. 



I proceed now to the description of my new species. 



1. Mytilaspis phymatodiclis , sp. uov. 

 Plate VII., fig. 1, abdomen. 

 General appearance resembling M. pomorum, but the puparium is 

 broader, as in M. piyriformis. The abdomen ends with a deepish median 

 depression, as in Diaspis rosa.. There are several scaly processes on the 

 terminal lobes, and a good many spiny hairs on the sides of the body. The 

 usual five groups of spinnerets, and many single ones scattered on corruga- 

 tions of the body. 



- 1 have not seen the male. 



