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ENTOMOLOGICx^L SOCIETY. 



113 



nize them. These scales sometimes cover twigs and large branches complete- 

 ly ; even the leaves are often infested, and sometimes the fruit itself becomes 

 more or less covered. Last year the fruit on several Maiden's Blush apple 

 trees grown in the orchard of the 0. A. C. was noticed to be affected by the 

 scale. This, however, is the exception rather than the rule. 



The insect is one-brooded, and winters over in the egg stage. The eggs 

 can be easily seen if at any time in the fall or winter the old scales be lifted 

 up and examined beneath. Numbers of very small whitish-yellow eggs will 

 be seen. Here beneath this oyster-shaped scale tEey remain until early in 

 the summer. The young yellow lice escape from the eggs during the last week 

 in May and t^e first week in June; that is, in the vicinity of Guelph. They 



Fig. 34— The Scurfy Bark-louse. 



wander for a few hours, or a few days, on the limb, then settle down and 

 secrete a scale. They fix themselves upon the tender bark, which they pierce 

 with the beak-like structures connected with their moutHs, and by means of 

 which they are able to suck the sap from the tree. The larvae moult, or shed 

 their skins, twice in the course of their growth during the summer. These 

 moults can be readily seen on the narrow end of the large scale. The adult 

 female dies soon after the laying of the eggs, about 60 in number, in the fall. 

 They may be spread from tree to tree to some extent by birds, and also by 

 other insects. 



Such is the life-history of the Oyster-shell Bark-louse, and before enter- 

 ing into a discussion as to th'e best means to adopt for its eradication, it will 

 be as well to briefly mention and describe one or two other species of the 

 commonly-occurring scales which most closely resemble it, and to point out 

 the differences for this purpose cuts are given with Hie various scales. 



