﻿216 
  Transactions. 
  — 
  Zoology. 
  

  

  With 
  a 
  very 
  high 
  power 
  of 
  the 
  microscojpe 
  the 
  commencement 
  of 
  the 
  

   test 
  may 
  be 
  observed, 
  which 
  in 
  the 
  next 
  stage 
  envelopes 
  the 
  insect. 
  Here, 
  

   as 
  shown 
  in 
  fig. 
  176, 
  the 
  oiitUue 
  is 
  still 
  oval, 
  but 
  the 
  edge 
  is 
  slightly 
  crenated 
  ; 
  

   there 
  are 
  now 
  only 
  four 
  hairs 
  at 
  the 
  posterior 
  end 
  and 
  these 
  are 
  short. 
  The 
  

   insect 
  is 
  evidently 
  quite 
  enclosed 
  in 
  the 
  test. 
  There 
  is 
  an 
  indication 
  of 
  the 
  

   abdominal 
  cleft, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  groove, 
  and 
  the 
  abdominal 
  lobes 
  are 
  

   replaced 
  by 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  vase-shaped 
  organ. 
  It 
  is 
  possible 
  sometimes 
  to 
  mount 
  

   a 
  specimen 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  sight 
  is 
  not 
  wholly 
  impeded 
  by 
  the 
  test, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   then 
  seen 
  that 
  the 
  antenna 
  are 
  short 
  and 
  the 
  legs 
  thick, 
  but 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  

   been 
  able 
  to 
  make 
  out 
  the 
  joints 
  of 
  either 
  satisfactorily. 
  Round 
  the 
  edge 
  

   runs 
  a 
  row 
  of 
  cup-shaped 
  spinnerets, 
  and 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  others, 
  sometimes 
  

   protruding 
  in 
  form 
  of 
  tubes, 
  are 
  scattered 
  over 
  the 
  body. 
  

  

  Later 
  on, 
  although 
  the 
  insect 
  appears 
  not 
  to 
  have 
  entered 
  any 
  further 
  

   stage, 
  the 
  tests 
  are 
  very 
  frequently 
  found 
  empty. 
  This 
  may 
  be 
  attributed 
  

   to 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  parasitic 
  flies, 
  for 
  the 
  tests 
  commonly 
  enclose 
  either 
  the 
  

   pupae 
  or 
  the 
  pellicles 
  of 
  these, 
  the 
  scale 
  insect 
  having 
  disappeared. 
  The 
  

   tests 
  are 
  white 
  and 
  glassy, 
  and 
  over 
  them 
  are 
  scattered, 
  chiefly 
  round 
  the 
  

   edge, 
  tubular 
  appendices 
  corresponding 
  to 
  the 
  spinnerets 
  on 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  

   insect. 
  Sometimes 
  these 
  tubes 
  are 
  set 
  so 
  close 
  together 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  

   straight 
  and 
  have 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  a 
  fringe, 
  but 
  as 
  a 
  rule 
  they 
  are 
  

   irregularly 
  set 
  and 
  curled 
  in 
  different 
  dhections. 
  

  

  2. 
  Asterochiton 
  aureus, 
  sp. 
  nov. 
  

  

  Plate 
  VII., 
  fig. 
  17. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  this 
  species 
  from 
  Melicytus 
  ramiflorus 
  at 
  Auckland. 
  It 
  differs 
  

   from 
  the 
  last 
  in 
  being 
  of 
  a 
  golden 
  or 
  orange 
  colour, 
  the 
  insect 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  

   being 
  purple. 
  The 
  outline 
  is 
  also 
  more 
  inclined 
  to 
  be 
  circular, 
  the 
  size 
  is 
  

   larger, 
  the 
  test 
  is 
  somewhat 
  thinner 
  and 
  allows 
  the 
  insect 
  to 
  be 
  better 
  seen, 
  

   the 
  groove 
  at 
  the 
  posterior 
  end 
  is 
  deeper, 
  and 
  the 
  rows 
  of 
  spinnerets 
  more 
  

   numerous. 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  observed 
  in 
  this 
  species 
  any 
  protruding 
  tubes. 
  The 
  

   antennffi 
  and 
  legs, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  make 
  them 
  out, 
  seem 
  

   to 
  resemble 
  those 
  of 
  A. 
  lecanioides. 
  Fig. 
  17c^. 
  

  

  I 
  pass 
  now 
  to 
  the 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  Coccidse 
  proper. 
  This 
  group 
  con- 
  

   tains 
  several 
  subdivisions, 
  but, 
  as 
  heretofore, 
  I 
  shall 
  confine 
  myself 
  to 
  those 
  

   which 
  appear 
  to 
  me 
  to 
  be 
  indigenous. 
  The 
  differences 
  between 
  many 
  of 
  

   the 
  subdivisions 
  are 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  detected 
  without 
  the 
  microscope, 
  depending 
  

   as 
  they 
  do 
  upon 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  joints 
  of 
  the 
  antenna, 
  number 
  of 
  anal 
  hairs, 
  

   number 
  of 
  digitules, 
  etc. 
  As 
  for 
  the 
  species 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  collected 
  here 
  I 
  

   have 
  had 
  a 
  good 
  deal 
  of 
  difficulty 
  in 
  deciding 
  sometimes 
  whether 
  they 
  differ 
  

   or 
  not 
  from 
  European 
  species 
  ; 
  and 
  even 
  now 
  I 
  am 
  not, 
  in 
  some 
  casesj 
  

  

  