\^0l. XXviii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 165 



Male No. 8. 



Mating I, March 10 : Courting 3-35-3-47 P.M. 



In copula 3-47-3-55 



Male No. 9. 

 Mating I, March 10: 



In copula ..3.50-3.57 P.M. III. In copula 5.40-5.50 P.M. 



II. Courting ..4.47-5.01 

 In copula ..5.01-5. 10 

 Male No. 10 emerged March 8. 



Mating I, March 11 : Courting 2.33-2.44 P.M. 



In copula 2.47-2.54 



It is interesting to note from the above figures that there 

 exists a certain periodicity in the process of mating. There 

 occurred in ahnost all cases one copulation in an hour, no more 

 and no less. This definiteness in time is also observable in the 

 courting and in the copulation, the average time spent being 

 about ten and seven minutes, respectively. The same table also 

 shows the fact that the males do mate with more than one fe- 

 male, to as many as six. 



Another very interesting fact observed in this connection is 

 that which pertains to the function of the wings and balancers 

 of the male. Since, as Mr. Gossard^ stated, the male rarely 

 takes to flight, the wings of this male scale insect are of more 

 use as the support for the body during the process of copula- 

 tion. In this explanation we see the significance of the pres- 

 ence of a highly modified pair of balancers. The balancers of 

 this insect end each with a booklet, with which they hold on 

 the wings and strengthen the latter. 



If the wings are useful for flight only this elaborate process 

 on the balancers may not be necessary. Dipterous insects pos- 

 sess, as we know, a pair of balancers, but with no booklet. 

 They nevertheless fly as easily as other insects do. The bal- 

 ancers of the cottony maple scale again are lacking in these 

 booklets. Reasoning thus, I am inclined to believe that the bal- 

 ancers of the cottony cushion scales, whatever their original 

 function might have been, have been so modified as to strength- 

 en the wings during the process of copulation. 



^Gossard, H. A. The Cottony Cushion Scale. Florida Agri. Exp. 

 St. Bull. No. 56, May, 1901. 



