SHE-OAK SCALE. 57 



CHAPTEK CXV. 



SHE-OAK SCALE. 



(Frenchia casuarinos, Maskell.) 



Order : Hemiptera. Family : Coccidce. 



This remarkable insect, which is probably one of the 

 most singular in the world, was first brought under scientific 

 notice by the writer. It was found by me on She-oaks, 

 Casuarina quadrivalvus especially, growing on the sea 

 coast at Sandringham and other places not far from 

 Melbourne. Having noticed a number of these fine and 

 beautiful trees either dead or dying, I set to work to 

 ascertain, if possible, the cause. I found nearly the 

 whole of the branches studded with a hard and singular 

 gall, which, upon raising the extinguisher-like cap or 

 covering, disclosed a pink jelly-like animal, as shown in 

 Fig. VII. This was to me a mystery, as I could not 

 conceive it possible that an animal of so frail a texture 

 would do so much damage to trees of a specially hard- 

 wooded nature. 



There was, however, no doubt as to the real cause having 

 been found, so I sent the specimens, with notes, to the 

 late Mr. Maskell, of New Zealand, the Australasian authority 

 upon scale-insects and their allies. These insects were a 

 puzzle to Mr. Maskell, but he went to work and figured 

 the specimens, naming the genus Frenchia. 



In later years, Mr. Lea, F.E.S., State Entomologist, 

 Tasmania, obtained living specimens from myself and 

 others, and succeeded in finding out certain important 

 matters connected with the life history of this extra- 

 ordinary insect, and I cannot do better than quote from 

 his able paper on the subject. 



