Hackmax: Cicadella Hi?:roglyphica. 193 



braces herself firmly, at times using her beak in addition to her 

 legs for this purpose. In all eases observed she always worked head 

 up. She first unsheaths her ovipositor, punctures the epidermis with 

 its tip, and then inserts it to its full length. The flat surface of the 

 ovipositor now rests parallel to the flat surface of the leaf, with its 

 toothed edge pointing forward. Sawing the ovipositor back and 

 forth she increases the size of the slit until it is large enough for the 

 egg. The egg then passes between the valves of the ovipositor into 

 the chamber prepared for it, and the ovipositor is withdrawn and 

 sheathed. In a very few seconds the process is begun again. 



The time taken up in preparing the chamber and depositing the 

 egg varied in several cases observed from two to five minutes, most 

 of which time was spent in preparing the chamber. To cite a char- 

 acteristic case, the whole operation occupied two and one-half 

 minutes, the two minutes being spent in preparing the chamber and 

 the half minute in placing the egg. 



The eggs may be laid singly or side by side in even rows. The 

 largest number found in a single row was twenty-five and the 

 largest number in a single leaf was thirty-five. The eggs in a hun- 

 dred rows or masses were counted, and the average number per row 

 was found to be seven. 



The effect of oviposition on the leaves is noticeable. The greater 

 number of eggs are laid in leaves not fully developed, and the pres- 

 ence of the eggs causes the growing leaf to become distorted and to 

 curl around the eggs. However, in no case observed did oviposition 

 kill the leaf. Eggs have been found in both willow and poplar 



leaves. 



NYMPHS. 



(Plate XVI, figs. 1-6.) 



Soon after oviposition, nymphs may be found feeding on the 

 leaves. Eggs observed in the laboratory hatched in from eight days 

 to two weeks. During their nymphal life these little leaf hoppers 

 molt five times and become adult in a little over two months, or about 

 the middle of June. By the middle of May the adults of the over- 

 wintering generation are all dead. Shortly after becoming adult, the 

 new adults mate and another generation is completed by the end of 

 summer. This generation consists of the overwintering individuals. 

 Xymphs af this generation have been found abundantly on giant 

 ragweed and goldenrod, and in all probability the eggs for this gen- 

 eration are laid in these hosts. 



