June, '13] TIMBERLAKE: PARASITES CCCCUS HESPERIDUM 297 



superparasitism resulting. In other wortls, superparasitism is com- 

 paratively rare, even when the females reproduce under the artificial 

 conditions of confinement. If too many eggs are deposited in one 

 host, one or several of the larvae may be killed and devoured by 

 the rest. This disposal of the supernumerary larvae most frequently 

 takes place while they are still in the second stage, if a study of the 

 larval remains may be relied upon. If, on the other hand, too few 

 eggs are deposited in a given host, the development of the parasites 

 may be retarded. One host has come under observation that illus- 

 trated especially well this retardation. It was a large, fully matured 

 scale with substance enough to have supported at least three or four 

 Microterys larvae, but for some reason only two eggs had been deposited 

 therein. The larvae on reaching their maximum size had failed to 

 consume completely the tissues of the host, and before casting their 

 meconium preparatory to pupation they were obhgecl to wait until 

 the unconsumed tissues had dried up at least to some measure. The 

 development for this reason was retarded about two days. 



The ovarian egg of Microterys is a peculiar object with two bodies, 

 one more than twice as large as the other connected together by an 

 extraordinarily long, slender stalk. The larger body is the egg proper, 

 within which the embryo later develops, whereas the stalk and smaller 

 body are specialized structures made use of by the larva even nearly 

 to the end of the larval period. After deposition of the egg in the 

 body of the scale the smaller body is left projecting into the outside 

 air through the derm or integument. It has now contracted into a 

 slender white stalk continuous internally with the still slenderer egg- 

 stalk proper. The egg-body by these means is deeply suspended among 

 the tissues of the host. Externally, moreover, each egg is made evi- 

 dent by the white, projecting stalk which is easily visible under a good 

 hand lens. A study of the location of the stalks in many parasitized 

 scales shows that the female oviposits with few exceptions in the mid- 

 dorsal region of the host. 



The egg at summer temperature hatches in about seventy hours 

 after deposition. The newly hatched larva does not drop as might be 

 expected from the egg-shell which is split down on one side at eclosion, 

 but remains anchored therein by its anal end. It even thus maintains 

 without the least doubt an intimate and vital connection with the 

 egg-stalk, and the latter might properly be called a living part of the 

 organism. After each of the two larval molts the exuviie are pushed 

 back but remain attached to the egg-shell, forming thereby a blackish 

 colored funnel within w^hich the larva still remains anchored. As in 

 the first stage of the larva, an intimate relation is kept up with the 

 egg-stalk until the tissues of the host are nearly consumed and the larva 



