REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 207 
Canada, and the most approved remedies so far tried ; also to answer briefly some of the 
pertinent questions frequently asked by correspondents and others concerning it. 
What is the Saw José Scale?—It is a very small (the largest specimens, not more 
than }inch in diameter) round, flattened and inconspicuous scale-insect ; that is, like 
the well known Oyster-shell Bark-louse and the Scurfy Bark-louse, a sucking insect 
covered by a waxy scale, which, as we find it on trees, is the only part visible, except in 
the early larval stage, when scale insects for a few days have the power of walking. 
What 2 1s not.—From the many different kinds of insects which have been sent in, 
it seems advisable to state that the San José Scale is not an easily seen insect resem- 
bling a beetle, a grub or a spider, nor has it well-developed wings and legs, but it is a 
minute creature which can only be detected by the closest examination, and even then 
requires some skill and experience to recognize it as an insect. 
Among the objects which have been received under the supposition that they might 
be the San José Scale, were many things which in no way resembled scale-insects ; but 
some, such as the small corky excrescences known as lenticels, which are found upon the 
young bark of some trees—apples, pears, birch, walnut, &c.—and certain minute fungi 
which are found on dead wood, do bear some resemblances to scale insects. Their 
different nature, however, may generally be easily detected by the fact that they cannot 
be detached from the bark without tearing the tissues, whereas all scale insects may be 
removed easily from the surface of plants by a gentle pressure. 
How to know it.—The general appearance of the bark of infested trees is dirty, 
seurfy and grayish in colour, as though dusted with ashes. The scales usually are found 
in enormous numbers, frequently overlapping or occurring altogether on the top of other 
scales; they may be found throughout the summer of all sizes from the newly hatched 
moite-like larvee to the fullgrown insects. In severe cases of infestation this massing of 
the scales produces a scurfy, dirty appearance of the bark, which when once seen is 
easily recognized. On young twigs, fruit and leaves, there is usually a well defined 
purplish ring surrounding each scale which is sometimes us ful for detecting its presence 
when the scale itself might be overlooked ; and although th s purpling eftect is produced 
by a few other scales, such as the Putnam Scale (A. ancylus, Put.) and the Forbes 
or Cherry Scale (A. Yorbesi, Jnsn), it is particularly characteristic of the San José 
Scale, and even upon large branches, although invisible at the surface, may be found by 
cutting away some of the outer bark. 
The scales of the males and females differ somewhat in shape. 
Female :—Scale very thin, almost circular in outline, much flattened; size ranging 
from ,', to 4 of an inch in diameter ; white at first, becoming grayish or blackish, par- 
ticularly in the centre, and later much blackened by the fungus Fumago salicina, so 
commen on trees attacked by many kinds of bark-lice and 
plant-lice. In the centre of the scale there is a small dark, 
or when the insect is dead or rubbed, yellow, nipple-like 
elevation surrounded by a distinct circular depression, 
which, as pointed out by Prof. Webster, is one of the best 
| distingnishing marks between this scale and some closely 
allied species. 
Male :—Scale about half the size of that of the female, 
rounded-oblong, with the nipple-like elevation plainly nearer 
' to one end than the middle. 
The drawing herewith shown was made by Dr. C. E. 
| Saunders from a group of scales found upon a plum on 25th 
of July last. They are all, therefore, of the first brood of the 
season, although certainly some of them were born later 
Tie than others. The first young of the year were reported 
Big. 16-—Sun Tse Scales, male from Niagara on Ist of July, so that the largest specimens 
‘would be about three weeks old. This was by Mr. 
Charles Thonger, a careful observer. Male insects almost ready to emerge from their 
seales, were Fria amore the seales shiawn in the ficure. 
