MANNER OF BIRTH OF APHIDID^. 31 



spraying these eggs he stated that the rosuUs show that spraying for. 

 the aphis in the egg stage is of doubtful utility, and the most effective 

 work may be done soon after the aphides hatch. 

 A paper was read, entitled: 



MANNER OF BIRTH OF THE WOOLLY APHIS OF THE APPLE 

 (SCHIZONEURA LANIGERA HAUSM.) AND OF OTHER APHI- 

 DID^. 



liy W. E. KuMSKY. MnriKiiiloini. W. \ n. 



The exact manner of birth of the agamic forms of the woolly aphis 

 of the a])ple seems to be a disputed i)oint ; at least, there is a variance 

 in the published records that I have been able to find on the subject. 

 In a study of this insect, now under way at the AVest Virginia Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station, some additional facts have been ob- 

 tained along this line which may be of interest. 



In the Eighth Keport on the Noxious and Beneficial Insects oi' 

 Illinois, by Dr. Cyrus Thomas, is a statement rcdating to the repro- 

 duction of this species, which says: 



111 so fiU- as tho inetliod of iJropagntioii is concornod it lias l)oen shown hy Dr. 

 W. yi. Smith, of New York, that it differs slightly from the true aphides, in that 

 tlie yonnuc larva' produced by the agamic females are inclosed in the thin egg- 

 shaped covering heretofore mentioned, from which they have to free themselves 

 in a manner analogous to hatching. The remains of this covering may often 

 he se^n attaduMl to the tip of the ahdomen. and is doubtless the sui)posed cottony 

 secretion alluded to by Doctor Fitch in his description of the young larva. 



A view diametrically opposed to that given by Doctor Thomas is 

 found in the Report of the Department of Agricidture for 1871), 

 Avhere this insect is treated, and from which the following extract is 

 taken : 



Mr. Howard lias rejieatedly watched I he liirtli of the young of the wingless 

 agamic females and positively states that they are horn without the enveloping 

 pellicle or pseudovnm. While the head and its appendages were still within the 

 mother, he has seen the legs kicking vigorously outside. 



These conflicting statements have led me to make careful observa- 

 ti(ms along this line. While a student at Cornell, my study of this 

 species seemed to corroborate the views of Dr. AY. M. Smith. Din-ing 

 my present study of the woolly aphis a large number of births have 

 been carefully watched, which has added materially to the evidence 

 sought. 



To see the entire operation of bii-th satisfactorily it was necessary 

 to devise some method by which the mother could be held in the posi- 

 tion desired. To accomplish this a rectangular cell was made on a 

 microsco])e slide with four small pieces of another slide. The cell 

 was just wide enough to hold a mature insect when placed on its side, 

 but of sidlicient leni>th to allow free extrusion of the vounsr. The 



