118 Rev. L. Gu1rpiNG's Account of Margarodes. 
acids, while sulphuric turns them black. Vinegar slowly decom- 
poses them. Exposed to flame they bubble and burn like horn. 
A most remarkable circumstance in the history of these ani- 
mals is, the power which the puparia possess, when placed in 
too dry a spot, to throw out gradually certain filiform and very 
long organs, for the purpose of preventing the drying and de- 
struction of the animal within by obtaining moisture by capil- 
lary attraction. These organs I have named Siphones (fila ab- 
sorbentia), a term, | believe, not already selected by Mr. Kirby. 
They appear tubular, and are composed of parallel friable fibres. 
At first I readily accounted for their appearance, by supposing 
that they were delicate filiform fungi which had sprung up on 
the pearls; but on further investigation it proved that, contrary 
to the law observed by Fungi, they were thrown out when placed 
in a very dry camphorated box, or on dry soil ; and that they 
only sprung from the half-obliterated spots which seem to mark 
the position of the spiracula of the larva. There can, therefore, be 
little doubt as to the use of these singular threads, which seem to 
have no analogues in the animal kingdom, and which imitate in 
so curious a manner the operation of some vegetable organs. 
St. Vincent, July 24, 1827. 
a N SECT A. 
| Onpo??*. 
: Gienüs* Masi RODES. Guild. 
Character Genericus. 
Corpus obesum, molle. 
Caput evanidum. 
Thorax abdomine annuloso vix distinctus. 
* Ordo, statio, et affinitas omnino incerti. Locum monstret doctissimus amicus 
Dominus Kirby. B 
$ 
