50 
J. HOPKINSON—HERTFORDSHIRE 
They are not, however, entirely unprofitable insects, for they 
include the cochineal insect ( Coccus cacti), which affords a rich 
crimson dye, of great value before the discovery of aniline dyes, 
but now used for little else hut dyeing rich silks and colouring 
confectionery; a species of Kermes , resembling a large crimson 
holly-berry, also imported for its dye; the lac insect ( Tachardia 
lacca), which furnishes the very valuable shell-lac of commerce, 
chiefly used as the basis for varnish and polish; and certain 
Chinese and Indian insects ( Ericerus pe-la and Ceroplastes ceriferus , 
etc.), which secrete a pure white wax that in those countries is 
made into candles for special occasions. 
Some Hertfordshire records having come under my notice in the 
course of passing through the press, for the Hay Society, the second 
volume of a work by Mr. Robert Newstead on ‘ The Coccidae of the 
British Isles,’ from which work the above information is almost 
entirely derived, I thought that an enumeration of them might be 
of interest to our members; and having acquainted Mr. Newstead 
with my intention he has favoured me with a few Herts records 
not mentioned in his work, and has also offered to lend me some 
specimens for exhibition this evening. 
The species met with in Hertfordshire may be conveniently 
divided into two groups—those which occur in the open, chiefly 
on our forest-trees, and those which occur under glass, chiefly on 
their exotic food-plants imported into this country. 
The localities given by Mr. Newstead in our county for the 
outdoor species are St. Albans, King’s Langley, and Tring. That 
no other localities are given is merely because these insects have 
not been searched for elsewhere, for doubtless those which have 
been observed at these places occur more or less freely all over 
the county. The species are as follows :— 
Mytilaspis pomorum. —This species is common everywhere as 
a great pest on the apple, and it occasionally occurs as a pest on 
the pear. Its food-plants are many, for it is a general feeder. 
The recorded Herts localities are St. Albans and Tring, where it 
has been seen on apple and cotoneaster. Tor keeping down its 
numbers we have chiefly to thank the blue-tit ( Parus cccruleus ), 
but the marsh-tit (P. palustris) and the tree-creeper ( Certhia 
familiaris) also feed upon it. It is one of the most destructive 
of the coccids. 
Lichtensia viburni. —This is partial to the ivy, but it also occurs 
on laurustinus ( Viburnum tinus ), whence its name. It has been 
observed, but only sparingly, at King’s Langley and Tring. It is 
essentially a British species, being only known to occur elsewhere 
at Montpelier in Trance. 
Lecanium bituberculatum. —The food-plant of this scale-insect 
is the hawthorn ( Cratcegus oxyacantba). Although a very local 
species, Mr. Newstead has found it to be plentiful at St. Albans, 
King’s Langley, and Tring. It is a southern form, being common 
in the south of Europe and not being known further north in the 
British Isles than Heacham in Norfolk. 
