﻿IV 
  

  

  As 
  I 
  have 
  observed 
  the 
  insect 
  at 
  work 
  upon 
  the 
  white 
  pine 
  only, 
  

   the 
  descriptions 
  that 
  follow 
  are 
  correspondingly 
  limited, 
  except 
  when 
  

   they 
  may 
  be 
  c^uoted 
  from 
  some 
  other 
  observer. 
  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  

   white 
  pine, 
  if 
  the 
  attack 
  be 
  l)ad 
  the 
  trunk 
  of 
  the 
  tree 
  is 
  covered 
  

   with 
  a 
  white 
  woolly 
  substance, 
  excreted 
  from 
  numerous 
  pores 
  scat- 
  

   tered 
  over 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  insect. 
  When 
  the 
  attack 
  is 
  just 
  begin- 
  

   ning, 
  the 
  white 
  patches 
  of 
  wool 
  appear 
  so 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  hardened 
  

   gum 
  that 
  has 
  escaped 
  from 
  wounds 
  on 
  the 
  tree 
  as 
  to 
  deceive 
  a 
  care- 
  

   less 
  observer. 
  If 
  the 
  insects 
  are 
  not 
  so 
  numerous 
  as 
  to 
  cover 
  the 
  

   bark, 
  this 
  resemblance 
  to 
  scattered 
  drops 
  of 
  resin 
  is 
  perfect 
  when 
  

   viewed 
  at 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  feet. 
  Examined 
  with 
  a 
  lens, 
  

   the 
  woolly 
  mass 
  is 
  seen 
  to 
  be 
  filamentous 
  and 
  "crinkly," 
  much 
  as 
  

   true 
  wool" 
  appears. 
  When 
  touched 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  sticky 
  and 
  to 
  

   stain 
  tlie 
  skin 
  dark. 
  Water 
  does 
  not 
  dissolve 
  it; 
  ether 
  does, 
  but 
  not 
  

   readily. 
  The 
  distribution 
  of 
  the 
  "wool" 
  on 
  the 
  tree, 
  since 
  it 
  accords 
  

   with 
  the 
  distribution 
  of 
  the 
  insect, 
  is 
  worth 
  noting. 
  To 
  some 
  extent 
  

   it 
  is 
  found 
  on 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  trunk 
  and 
  branches, 
  but 
  is 
  usually 
  

   more 
  abundant 
  on 
  the 
  northern 
  exposure 
  of 
  the 
  trunk, 
  around 
  the 
  

   bases 
  of 
  the 
  limbs, 
  beneath 
  the 
  limbs, 
  and 
  just 
  at 
  the 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  

   leaves. 
  No 
  experiments 
  were 
  made 
  by 
  me 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  causes 
  

   of 
  this 
  distribution, 
  but 
  the 
  tendency 
  to 
  seek 
  the 
  under 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

   limbs 
  and 
  their 
  bases 
  indicates 
  a 
  desire 
  to 
  escape 
  the 
  sunlight. 
  The 
  

   upper 
  side 
  of 
  a 
  limb 
  is 
  usually 
  entirely 
  free 
  from 
  the 
  insects, 
  except 
  

   just 
  at 
  its 
  base,- 
  and 
  even 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  side 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  attack 
  does 
  

   not 
  extend 
  beyond 
  the 
  point 
  where 
  the 
  limbs 
  taper 
  to 
  about 
  one 
  half 
  

   or 
  three 
  quarters 
  of 
  an 
  inch. 
  This 
  leaves 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  four 
  feet 
  of 
  

   the 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  branches 
  free 
  from 
  the 
  insects 
  except 
  the 
  small 
  area 
  

   oi 
  new 
  growth 
  about 
  the 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  leaves. 
  

  

  GENERAL 
  DESCRirTION 
  OF 
  THE 
  INSECT, 
  ITS 
  FEEDING 
  HABITS, 
  AND 
  

   ITS 
  CLASSIFICATION. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  winter 
  months 
  the 
  wingless 
  female 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  under 
  

   the 
  "wool," 
  sometimes 
  alone, 
  as 
  noted 
  by 
  Professor 
  Osborn, 
  but 
  more 
  

   often 
  in 
  the 
  company 
  of 
  several 
  others, 
  as 
  stated 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Fitch. 
  

   These 
  females 
  may 
  or 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  fixed 
  by 
  their 
  long 
  sucking 
  beaks 
  

   to 
  the 
  bark, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  time 
  the 
  observation 
  is 
  made. 
  If 
  in 
  

   the 
  spring, 
  the 
  beak 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  inserted. 
  About 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  

   April 
  the 
  female 
  is 
  usually 
  surrounded 
  by 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  yellowish 
  or 
  

   brownish 
  eggs. 
  The 
  insect 
  itself 
  is 
  quite 
  small 
  (0.51 
  mm.) 
  and 
  

   dark 
  in 
  cohor, 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  thorax 
  varying 
  from 
  brown 
  to 
  black 
  

   and 
  the 
  abdomen 
  being 
  yellowish, 
  shading 
  to 
  brown 
  on 
  the 
  seg- 
  

   ments 
  next 
  the 
  thorax. 
  The 
  form 
  is 
  depressed 
  or 
  spherical, 
  in 
  

   either 
  case 
  approaching 
  a 
  circular 
  outline 
  when 
  viewed 
  dorsally. 
  

   When 
  in 
  its 
  natural 
  position 
  on 
  the 
  bark 
  there 
  may 
  be 
  some 
  diffi- 
  

   culty 
  in 
  distinguishing 
  the 
  insect. 
  Dr. 
  Fitch 
  said 
  it 
  was 
  invisibU- 
  

   with 
  the 
  naked 
  eye, 
  but 
  when 
  free 
  in 
  the 
  white 
  wool, 
  or 
  when 
  placed 
  

   on 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  white 
  paper, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  easily 
  seen. 
  During 
  this 
  jjeriod 
  

   of 
  its 
  life 
  history 
  the 
  power 
  of 
  locomotion 
  is 
  very 
  slight. 
  When 
  

   placed 
  upon 
  its 
  back, 
  the 
  insect 
  is 
  quite 
  as 
  unable 
  to 
  right 
  itself 
  as 
  

   a 
  tortoise 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  position 
  wcnild 
  be. 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  same 
  reason 
  — 
  

  

  