No. 4.] Notes on Insect pests from the Entomological Section. 210 



of the imago. Mr. Bamber reports that he is using kerosine oil to 

 kill the pest, by pouring small quantities into the holes in the stems. 

 Pouring kerosine oil into the burrows would no doubt prove an 

 effectual means of destroying the insects, provided it does not also 

 injure the tree on which it is used. 



IV.-FOREST PESTS. 



I. Erioco ecus paradoxus. Mask., var. fw^ica. 



(Sub-ord. Homoptera, Fam. Coccidse.) 

 Plate XV, fig. 3. 



From Mr. J. S. Gamble, Director of the Imperial Forest School, 

 Dehra Dun, were received in January 1896 specimens of a Coccid 

 found on stems of Helicteres isora at Mohand in the district of 

 Saharanpur. 



The specimens appeared to be new to the Museum collection. 

 Mr. W. M. Maskell who kindly examined the insect, wrote : "This 

 is Eriococcus paradoxus. Mask., a variety which I shall name indica, 

 differing from the type in the very slightly larger size and in the 

 more numerous and large figure of 8 spinnerets. The type is from 

 South Australia and is described by me in the Trans, of Roy. Soc. 

 S. Australia, 1887-88." 



The following is Mr. MaskelFs description of the type :— 



Eriococcus paradoxus.^^^o. of adult female dark reddish brown^ 

 circular, convex, aggregated in masses on the bark, and so thickly 

 covering it sometimes as probably to smother the plant ; diameter 

 about \ inch. 



The aggregated mass is so thick that on cutting a vertical 

 section it appears like a honeycomb of cells each containing an 

 insect. At the sum.mit of the convex sac is a very minute orifice 

 (not apparent in every instance). This orifice is probably intended 

 to give access to the male insect, specimens of which may some- 

 times be found inside the cellular sacs with the females. The 

 sac is so closely fitted that it has quite the appearance of being waxy 

 instead of cottony, but a little pressure with the point of a pencil 

 makes an impression in it as if it were leathery ; and on boiling in 

 potash it becomes dissolved, which is not the case with any waxy 

 Coccid test, as far as I know. The spinnerets and threads described 

 below are also evidences that the sac is really felted, though very 

 closely. 



The sac of the male is reddish-yellow, narrow, elongated, convex 

 above and flat beneath ; after its last metamorphosis the male 

 escapes by an orifice atone end. 



