PKOCZEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOCJICAL MEETING 557 



differences in structure of calcareous tubes, their colour variations, 

 their composition and object in the nymphal stages of the insect, as 

 well as the morphological differences in the shape, colour and size of 

 the pronotal spine can be placed in their proper perspective, and I hope 

 to revert to this subject later on, when I am in a position to draw con- 

 clusions from observations made through a series of years. 



The adults are very common on the cotton plants from April to 

 October. During the winter I have seen eggs and nymphs within 

 tubes on the plants. ^ Adults are not seen from the middle of December 

 until the middle of February at Pusa. The eggs are laid in the tissues 

 of the plant, on the shoots, soft portions of stems, calyces of flowers, 

 leaf stalks, midribs of leaves and even flower buds. The eggs are either 

 laid singly or in twos or threes but not in masses together. The eggs 

 lie embedded in the tissues of plant. Each egg is about 1 mm. long, 

 dirty-white in colour. The end which lies embedded in the tissues of 

 the plant is pointed, the other is obliquely truncate with a membranous' 

 dark-grey cap over it. As the egg matures the membranous cap over 

 the truncate end turns darker and darker in colour until it becomes 

 shiny black prior to the emergence of the njmaph. The nymph when 

 about to come out forces out the cap which remains attached to the 

 edge of the eggshell. Towards the pointed end of the egg which lies 

 embedded in the tissues of the plant there is an oblique spine, about as 

 long as the eggshell. The function of the spine is not well understood ; 

 it is possibly to secure fixity of the eggs in the plants. The nymph on 

 hatching wanders about for some time, when it fixes itself on a succulent 

 portion of the stem, the leaf-stalk, the shoot and even the midrib of a 

 leaf. Its rostrum is short and pointed. It begins to suck the juice and 

 exude a clear liquid in bubbles which completely surround it. More 

 liquid is exuded until the nymph is covered completely by the froth 

 which on exposure to the air coagulates and the nymph may be seen 

 working it into a thin case round its abdominal segments which are so 

 retractable that they may be seen distinctly expanding and retracting, 

 shaping the semi-plastic material. More hquid is exuded, it is allowed 

 to coagulate and worked up to extend the tube. This goes on until the 

 tube is ready. The abdominal segments of the nymph are so retract- 

 able that it is able to exsert them to the entire length of the tube. If 

 however, the nymph is disturbed at the time of making the tube, it 

 leaves its old place, moves about, settles down to feed and to exude 

 a clear liquid in bubbles which coagulates and is worked up into a case 

 to cover the nymph. In some cases the tube just as it was finished by 

 the nymph was removed to see if it would make a fresh one instead. 

 It was found that the nymph again began exuding a clear liquid, which 



