THE COTTONY CUSHION SCALE. 67 



"This scale Las been, it is asserted, known to be on the acacia for seven 

 years in San Josd, but it is onl}' cliiiin^ the past and present seasons 

 tbat it has attracted attention. Its great prolificness and its destruc- 

 tive abilities have called widespread attention to it. Tbis pest attacks 

 everything in the way of tree, vine or shrub; all the evergreens as 

 well as deciduous trees tbat fall in its way are attacked, and every orna- 

 mental shrub on the lawns of some jDortion of our cities will show its 

 l)resence. The ivy, even, is not proof agai'nst it. In San Kafael, San 

 ]Mateo, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles it is well established. Whilo 

 in San Jose it has not this season caused so great damage as last, yet 

 in the citrus-growing regions it is becoming one of the most serious 

 pests they have to encounter, and it is even stated that, should its 

 ravages not be checked, orange and lemon culture will have to be aban- 

 doned. 



" From the rapid destruction which follows the presence of this scale, 

 it is well that it should be widely recognized, and its first invasion 

 noticed and checked. In San Jos^, in 1881, it was first noticed in May 

 as the fully developed female, from which the first brood of young then 

 appeared. 



"This present season of 1882 the first young appeared May 25th, the 

 mother insect having gradually matured her eggs from the opening of 

 spring until the young were hatched. The egg of the Icerya is small, 

 ])ak' or orange red, elongated and ovoid. The young just hatched out 

 are very active, and are very minute, perhaps the twenty-fifth of an 

 inch in length. The body is pale red; the six legs and two antennae are 

 black. The antennae are long and club-shaped, and have from six to 

 nine joints, as they are further matured. The antennae are covered 

 with long hairs, which bristle forth prominentlj*. The eyes are small 

 and black. Between the pair of forelegs on the under side of the body 

 is to be seen the beak or sucker, by which the insect secures its nour- 

 ishment. 



" The females i)artly grown are of a variety of colors, orange red mostly, 

 and spotted over with white and green ; some are nearly entirely a 

 dirty white, and many are. a pea green. It seems that the coloring 

 matter of the plant they are upon colors them to some extent. Their 

 body is ovoid and elongated and flattened, the back being ridged up 

 with several segments (juite i>rominent. Around the rim of the body 

 are a multitude of hairs, standing out prominently. Around the rear 

 half of the body on its rim arc a row of tubercles or spinarets, from 

 which a white secretion issues, forming a cottony cord, and these placed 

 side by side and the interspace filled up by the same material running 

 lengthwise the body and projecting from it, gives the whole a ribbed, 

 satin like appearance whitish in color. Gradually as the insect matures 

 these projecting ridges ai)proach each other at the ends, and are joined 

 together and curved under slightly at the point, while the sides are at 

 the same time curved under the whole length, and the edges joined 



