PHYSOKERMES ABIETIS. 135 



Mr. Nicholson lias sent it to me from tlie Royal 

 Gardens, Kew ; and Mr. Thomas Shepheard has col- 

 lected it in the Bournemouth district. 



Distribution. Apparently common in many parts of 

 Europe, but to the best of my knowledge it has not 

 been met with in any other part of the world. 



In Bohemia, Dr. Karel Sulc has discovered quite a 

 giant form of this interesting species (PL LVIII, fig. 2, 

 after Sulc), which is much inflated and resembles a 

 large Kermes. I suggested that the examples sent to 

 me were parasitised, but Dr. Sulc assures me that they 

 are not so. Nothing approaching this giant form has 

 yet occurred in this country, but seeing the great 

 interest attached to its discovery, I have ventured to 

 have Dr. Sulc's beautiful drawing reproduced on the 

 plate, in the hope that it may induce others to search 

 for it here. 



Habits. The internal marsupia or pouches of the 

 female may be found filled with eggs at the beginning 

 of June. The larvae hatch towards the end of July, 

 and invariably fix themselves head downwards, gener- 

 ally beneath the bud -scales at the base of the young 

 growth (PL LVIII, fig. 1 a), and often so arrange 

 themselves that they quite surround the branch (PL 

 LVIII, fig. 1), where they remain for the rest of their 

 lives, without apparently changing their quarters. 

 They hibernate without making any material change, 

 and in spring effect a moult and secrete a small quantity 

 of white flocculent matter. As the female advances 

 to maturity, the abdominal extremity of the body 

 gradually appears above the bud- scales, and when it 

 has fully matured the body protrudes beyond the bud- 

 scales about two thirds of its entire length (PL LVIII, 

 fig. 1) ; and whether there is one, or a series of females 

 as shown in the illustration, the resemblance to an un- 

 opened bud, or buds, of the spruce is very remarkable. 



I have not found this species attacked by birds, which 

 is not to be wondered at seeing that the young are 

 protected during the winter months beneath the bud- 



