Mr. H.J. Carter on the Natural History of the Lac-Insect. 5 



lateral, and two long hairs [b b), growing from the penultimate 

 segment of the abdomen ; the body segmented regularly ; the 

 oral aperture ventral and placed at some distance from the ante- 

 rior extremity; two tufts of white, powdery, hair-like filaments 

 budding from the sides of the thorax respectively, in the place of 

 wings {a a), and a tuft of the same kind (c), bifurcated, and 

 curling outwards on each side, projecting from the anal orifice. 

 Anal orifice surrounded by a row of short, strong hairs. 



At this period the insect is almost too small for examination 

 organologically ; but after it has crept off the incrustation and 

 on to the bark of the branch, it soon becomes stationary, and 

 enlarging, as the resinous secretion exudes from the surface of 

 the body so as to surround all parts except the oral orifice and 

 the three apertures from which the three white tufts issue, at 

 the expiration of a month (that is, by the middle of August) 

 it measures in length almost the 18th part of an inch. 



If we now examine it minutely, it will be observed that the 

 legs, antennae, and the whole of the chitinous parts of the body 

 have become almost undistinguishably incorporated with the 

 resinous secretion, which, when dissolved from the insect by 

 spirit of wine, leaves the body (fig. 11) almost in a larval or 

 caterpillar form, but without eyes or any other appendages, save 

 the three white tufts of hair-like filaments, and the pi'oboscis, 

 which is now fully developed. The proboscis (fig. 12 a) consists 

 of a fleshy projection, situated at a little distance from the head, 

 ventrally, presenting a depression in the centre, from which 

 issue four long hairs or setse, based internally upon as many 

 pyramidal inflations situated almost at right angles to each 

 other, and supported by other horny elements, which also ap- 

 pear to belong to the machinery of the proboscis. These hairs 

 together form the penetrating organ through which the juice of 

 the tree is extracted ; but whether they are hollow, and do this 

 individually, or form a single tube by combination for this pur- 

 pose, I have not been able to determine. 



On the other hand, the three apertures from which the white 

 tufts proceed, and which are now seen to open through the in- 

 crustation, are observed to be situated in the thorax (fig. 11 a «) 

 and at the tail {b b) respectively — thus identifying the latter, 

 which still presents the circle of hairs round the anal orifice 

 (fig. lie and fig. 12 b), with the large papilla or anal orifice of 

 the full-grown insect (fig. 2 b), and the former or thoracic aper- 

 tures with the two other papillae (c c), which appear to replace 

 the wings. The white tufts projecting from all these we have 

 already found to consist of the extremities of the tracheae covered 

 with a white powder. 



Thus we see that the increase of size which takes place in the 



