6-1 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1791, 



is such. A few of them are constantly running about, and over the little red 

 insects, (which I shall now call the female) most actively : as yet they are scarce, 

 not more, I imagine, tlian 1 to 5000 females, but they are 4 or 5 times their 

 size. To-day the female insects continue issuing in great numbers, and move 

 about as before. 



Dec, T . The small red or female insects are still more numerous, and move 

 about as before. The winged or male insects are still very kw, but continue 

 active. There have been fresh leaves aTid bits of the branches of mimosa 

 cinerea, and mimosa intsia, put in to them. They go over them indifferently, 

 without showing any preference or inclination to work, or to copulate. I opened 

 a cell, from which I thought the winged flies had come, and found several (8 or 

 10) strusygling to shake off their incumbrances. They were in one of those 

 utriculi mentioned before, which end in 1 mouths, shut up with fine white hairs ; 

 but one of them was open for the exit of the flies ; the other would no doubt 

 have opened in due time. This utriculus I found now perfectly dry ; and could 

 plainly see it was divided into minute cells, by exceedingly thin membraneous 

 partitions. I imagine, before any of the flies made their escape, it might have 

 contained about l6 or 20. In the minute cells, with the living flies, or from 

 which they had made their escape, were small dark-coloured compressed grains. 



March lQ, 1790, I found some branches of the same sort of mimosa, with 

 numbers of the minute red hexapodes, mentioned in December, seemingly in 

 their pupa state, adhering to them. They are of various sizes, from half a line 

 to a line and a half in length. I found many of the large ones empty. They 

 have a round opening at the lower end, v^ith a small round operculum, or lid, 

 which now loosely covers the empty husk or shell : the inside of these is lined 

 with a small white membrane ; others were still shut, some were opening, and 

 some half open, with the insects projecting more or less, and soon extricating 

 themselves entirely. I opened some of the middle-sized, and found they con- 

 tained a thick, deep, blood-coloured liquid ; others, still larger, put on the ap- 

 pearance of the fly, which was soon to issue, retrograde. 



Description of the male lac insect in its perfect Description of the female lac insect. 



state. Liiria, red, ver)' minute, requiring a good 



It was then about the size of a very small fly, lens to distinguish its parts, 

 and exceedingly active ; the larva and pupa state Head, scarcely to be distinguished from the 



1 am as yet unacquainted with. trunk. 



Head obtuse 5 between die eyes a beautiful. Antenna:, filiform, bifid, hairy, length of tlie 



shining green. insect. 



Eyes, black, very large in proportion to the Eyes : in the back pari o( tlie tnink are '2 mi- 

 animal, nute elevations, which may be them. 



Antenntr, clavated, feathered, about ^ the Mouth, on the middle of the breast, between 



length of tlie body; below the middle, an ar- the first pair of legs, which the liltle animal pro- 



ticulation, such as those in the legs. jects on being injured^ otherwise it cannot be 



Mouth. 1 could nol distinctly see it. seen. 



