418 THE COCCINAj 



with a wliite substance, and the wounds which they 

 inflict upon the tissues of plants, not unirequently 

 cause the production of galls and similar excrescences. 



The singular tribe of the Coccina, or Cochineals, 

 which concludes the order Rhynchota, and the long 

 series of metabolous insects, is distinguished from all 

 the preceding groups by the possession of one-jointed 

 tarsi by its members. These are almost all of small 

 size, and the two sexes exhibit such a wonderful dif- 

 ference in their appearance, that, without positive 

 observation, it would be difficult to believe that they 

 could really belong to the same species, or even to 

 the same group of insects. 



The males are minute and delicate creatures, fur- 

 nished with a single pair of filmy wings, behind 

 which we find a pair of organs somewhat similar to 

 the halter es of the Diptera. The head bears a pair 

 of longish antennse, but the rostrum is wanting, and 

 the extremity of the abdomen is generally furnished 

 with a pair of long filaments. The female, on the 

 contrary, is usually a mere fleshy mass, sitting mo- 

 tionless upon the twigs of trees and plants, to which 

 she is attached by a long rostrum ; her legs are re- 

 duced to a rudimentary condition, and her wings are 

 altogether wanting. 



One of the commonest species is the Coccus Aceris, 

 an inhabitant of the sycamore, on the small twigs of 

 which the females may be seen about the end of May, 

 swelled to the size of small peas. At this time, if we 

 search the lower parts of the branches of the sycamore 

 bushes, we shall find attached to the bark a number 

 of little whitish scales, from each of which a pair of 



