268 SPRUCE FIR. 



what like Scotcli Fir cones furnished on each of the divisions 

 with a short leaf), which may he found not unfrcquently in 

 the early summer forming at the ends of the shoots of the 

 Spruce Fir. 



The mother Chermes, from which the brood of the year 

 originates, is very similar in shape to that of the Larch Chermes, 

 but rather smaller, oval, wingless, and woolly, of various shades 

 of green or purple, with dark legs, and may be found in spring 

 with her sucker inserted in the base of a Spruce bud, thus 

 causing the irritation which starts the diseased growth known 

 as the "Pine Apple Gall" or " Pseudo Cone." Sometimes 

 the shape is perfect, but often only one side of the shoot is 

 swollen, and the other is merely stunted. 



The first growth of the gall and the first egg-laying of the 

 Chermes begin in May, or sometimes in the later part of 

 April ; and deposit of eggs goes on slowly, the Chermes never 

 stirring from the spot during the time, till, having laid a 

 mass amounting to about two hundred, of various tints of 

 yellowish green or grey covered with wool from her own body, 

 she dies. 



The larvae, which hatch shortly from these eggs, are mere 

 specks in size ; when magnified they are seen to have six legs, 

 and a head with horns, and to be in shape much like the 

 pupa figured at p. 267 (at first without signs of the future 

 wings). The colour is greenish, or of a red tint. Meanwhile 

 the growth of the gall — the "Pseudo Cone" as it is called — 

 has been continuing, and the young Chermes larvfe spread 

 themselves, soon after hatching, on its surface, drive their 

 suckers into the soft substance of which it is formed, and, 

 accordinfj to various observers, become buried in it from the 

 continued enlargement of the base of the unnaturally swollen 

 leaves, of which the gall is chiefly composed, gradually over- 

 lapping them. This point is one of much interest. With 

 regard to the larvfe that were hatched outside presently be- 

 coming tenants of the inside of the gall, there is no doubt; but, 

 according to my own observations after long and careful 

 watching of the growing specimens, I believe that at a certain 

 stage of the growth of the gall a minute slit opens along the 

 upper part of the sutures that mark the divisions of the 

 swollen leaves of the gall from each other, and through these 

 openings the larvae creep into the chambers within. 



On this point enquirers may satisfy themselves by watching 

 the Chermes galls at hatching time, with the help of a strong 

 magnifying glass, especially on the afternoon of a sunny day, 

 and noting (should the process coincide with the above ob- 

 servations) the larvae spreading themselves along the lines 

 which divide the galls into diamond-shaped scales, apparently 



