Insects. 7725 



suckers hardly to be distinguished from hairs. At llie extremily of the body two 

 exceedingly minute hairs trail behind for some considerable length ; and besides these 

 are numerous setae and orifices, part's, I believe, of the organ for the secretion of the 

 cottony substance and the hard shield. The locomotive power of the larva— and this 

 is the only time it makes use of it — is I believe very limited ; frequently it settles 

 close to the parent home, and I imagine that when once the proboscis is inserted in 

 the orange it is never removed ; the insect thus located, the skin on the back changes 

 to a darker colour, thickens, and ultimately becomes a cast skin, the coccus having 

 retreated between the secretions of the hard shield, as a protection above, and the cot- 

 tony substance as a close attachment below, but to neither of them is it ever adherent; 

 at this stage it also loses every trace of antennae, legs and eyes, whilst, on the contrary, 

 the proboscis is more fully developed : this is evidently the pupa state, and thus far I 

 have been unable to detect any difference between male and female. The first indi- 

 cation that I have found of the male insect is the presence of two dark and rather 

 diffused spots in the head, and also a simultaneous disappearance of the proboscis. 

 Then, after a skin is cast, there is an entire disappearance of the organs for the secre- 

 tions of the shield, which is completed of a long and narrow shape; one more stage in 

 advance and the ocelli are black and distinct, and there can be traced two long 

 antennae and two wings at the side; six legs are also in process of development, the 

 two in front being directed forward, which is a peculiarity of the pupa of this genus; 

 and at the extremity of the body is a protuberance I imagine to be the male organ. 

 Another skin is yet cast, and there is a perfect male insect. The ocelli are four, two 

 above and two below ; the antennfe eight- or nine-jointed, very delicate, hairy, and 

 nearly the length of the whole body ; the legs have four members, the terminal one of 

 each being provided with a single hook and two or more delicate suckers ; the wings 

 project considerably beyond the body, they are transparent, but covered with very 

 minute hairs, and strengthened by a simple ribbing of two corrugations which unite 

 at the base. The two halterers or poisers are oval, and terminate with a hair bent like 

 a hook at the extremity ; and that which I presume to be the male organ is long, 

 attenuated, and attached at its base to, and immediately above, a truncated projection 

 which has an aperture at its apex. We thus find in the male complete insect meta- 

 morphoses. I am unable to say as much of the female, though I presume that such 

 must be the case, as only a perfect insect is capable of reproducing its species. I have 

 not as yet paid much attention to this sex, but so far as my observations have 

 gone, after it has changed into the pupa state all external organs disappear, excepting 

 those at the extremity of the body, and the proboscis, which becomes stronger and 

 larger ; the secretion of the shield is continued until nearly four or five times the size 

 of the male, and the body of the insect bears about the same proportion ; it then 

 deposits its eggs, between one and two hundred in number, which are placed on end 

 in great regularity, and the first ones will frequently be found hatching before the last 

 are laid. The external surface of the shield of the male gives very marked indications 

 of the three changes that have taken place : first, there is the cast skin of the larva ; 

 secondly, the shield for the pupa ; and thirdly, a thin and short addition to the shield 

 for the wings of the imago, which 1 believe is lifted up when the insect escapes. There 

 are also three similar indications on the external surface of the female shield, and 

 these may also warrant the conclusion that its metamorphoses have been complete. 

 It is somewhat surprising that these Cocci are to be found in a living stale at all, 

 after the change they must have experienced in the climate ; it is, however, very 



