64 Indian Museum Notes. [Vol. VI. 



not actively growing and the leaves affected are the old ones. Some- 

 where about February the little scales, which have already shed 

 their first skins upon the leaves, descend to the young twigs and from 

 then onwards till they mature, remain here and on the larger branches. 

 They collect in masses round the twigs, several inches being often 

 densely encircled with the insects, and keep their position till they 

 have drained out most of the sap, and then proceed to a fresh twig 

 upon which they again congregate. It is this power of moving about 

 at will (which is not usual amongst Coccidze) which, added to their 

 enormous fertility, enables these insects to multiply in large numbers 

 and renders them so dangerous. March, April, and perhaps a portion 

 of May are spent upon the twigs and branches, the insects moving 

 down to the latter as they increase in size and at least two further 

 moults of the skin take place. In shedding the skin this latter 

 splits down anteriorly and the insect crawls out. The cast skins are 

 white and papery and will be found sticking to the leaves, twigs, and 

 stems of infested trees, being attached thereto by the sugary secre- 

 tion. From the minute dot of yellow colour found upon the leaves 

 in the early cold weather the insect will have grown to about |th inch 

 in size and have changed to dark-orange or orange-brown when 

 quitting the leaves tor the twigs, and when about half to frds 

 grown it begins to become covered with a dry white powdery 

 mealy substance which can be rubbed off with the finger. The 

 scale will be by now from a quarter to \ inch in size, elliptical in 

 shape, white and flattish, with ridges and corrugations on its upper 

 surface marking the different segments. At its head end it is 

 provided with a pair of black antennas and beneath are three pairs of 

 blacklegs. No further change in appearance takes place, except in 

 size, till it matures towards the end of April or in May when it may 

 be I inch long and half this in width. There is no mistaking the 

 insects at this stage, the large white thick puffy-looking scales 

 being most conspicuous, and it is this stage that has been observed 

 in various parts of India upon the mango. The little black winged 

 male pairs with the females at this period and the latter cease feeding 

 soon after fertilization has taken place. During bad infestations 

 of the insects the large white females are to be seen in numbers 

 marching about up and down the trees or clinging in serried masses 

 to the twigs and branches, giving to these latter the appearance of 

 being encrusted with snow. The exudation of the sugary liquid is 

 at this period very heavy and coats leaves, twigs, branches, and 

 drips down on to the trunks and the ground beneath like rain or 

 heavy dew. 



