352 R. Newstead: 
Older individuals are hemispherical in shape with minute lateral tubercles placed about midway 
between the margin and the dorsum, of these the two bilateral ones are the most pronounced and they are 
also darker in colour than the surrounding integument; caudal process short, forming a nipple-like prominence. 
From the material at hand one gathers that as the insect matures, the integument becomes greatly distended 
‚so that the lateral tubercles diminish considerably, appearing finally in the old adults as minute spine-like 
processes; while the tubercle immediately below the caudal process remains practically unchanged. The 
curious form of the old adult bears a striking resemblance to Physokermes abietis, and its characteristies 
are accurately depicted by Targioni-Tozzetti (l. c.). 
In his paper on the gum lack of Madagascar Prof. Targioni-Tozzetti (l. c.) has embodied a 
short note by M. A. Gascard on this product. He says that it occurs in spherical or oval masses, and 
that the size hardly reaches that of a pigeon’s egg. The colour he gives is greyish-yellow, but the examples 
procured by Dr. Voeltzkow were white; this slight difference, however, must be due to the fact that 
Dr. Voeltzkow ’s examples had been bleached by the alcohol in which they were preserved; or it is 
highly probable that Gascard’s specimens had been exposed for a longer period to the influence of the 
weather and in this way had become discoloured and probably coated with microfungi. Furthermore he 
says that tlıe gum-lac of Madagascar is distinguishable from that of the Indies by the absence of colouring 
matter; and that it seems to answer to Flacourt’s description of „Lit in bitsic“ which latter he says 
is used by the people to hold the arrows („Sagaies*) in their shaft („Manche“). The host-plant given by 
- M. Gascard is a species of Lauraceae. 
Habitat: Tulear (SW. Madagascar), March 1904. 
Lecanium nicotianae n. sp. Newst. 
Female adult. Skin soft; form short ovate, highly convex, sometimes slightly clypeate in front; 
suddenly depressed posteriorly in the region of the anal lobes; margins rather broad and flat; segmentation, 
especially in the abdominal region, strongly pronounced. Cephalo-thoracie 
region somewhat irregularly punctate. Pale ochreous with ochreous-brown 
in the grooves formed by the segments and punctuations, the dark colour 
spreading irregularly over the integument, especially at the sides, giving 
the dorsum a somewhat mottled appearance. Under a higher magnification 
the paler portions are seen to be composed of numerous small pale spots, 
closely packed together. Antennae (fig. 1) of seven segments; 2, 3, and 6 
the longest. Legs normal; digitules to claws very broad, practically 
spatulate. Marginal spines (fig. 2) with very fine lateral hairs at distal 
extremity; immediately below these ventrally, is an irregular series of 
shorter spiniform hairs (fig. 3) which are more numerous between the 
stigmal clefts and also on the cephalic margin. Spines of the stigmatic 
cleft (fig. 4) simple, two short and one long, the latter frequently broken 
away. Ventral abdominal hairs very long (? six in number). 
; Length 3 mm; width 2,25 mm. 
Fig. 2. Habitat: On stems of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Fenerive 
(E. Madagascar, two lots). This insect belongs to the hesperidum group 
and is distinguishable by its highly convex form (some examples being sub-hemispherical), the minute lateral 

hairs to the tips of the marginal spines, and the numerous submarginal spiniform hairs. 


