288 INTRODUCTION TO ZOOLOGY chap. 



little white waxy patches (Fig. 214, K). If some of these are 

 scraped off, put on a slide, and treated with turpentine, the 

 wax dissolves away, leaving exposed a number of little wing- 

 less Chermes insects, which were just entering on their long 

 hibernation protected by the wax. When mounted in 

 glycerine, slight pressure on the cover-slip causes the contents 

 of the body to stream out, and the transparent skin is left as 



Fig. 214. — Spruce twig infected by 



Ohermes aiietis. Fig. ^15.— Chermes abietis. 



h, Waxy patch covering hibernating Chermes ^ o -J 



insects ; g, gall formed by such insects (Obtained from the waxy patch shown 



when they awake to activity after the in Pig. 214 and made transparent as 



winter sleep. explained in the text.) u, Rostrum. 



in Fig. 215, showing clearly the regular arrangement of the 

 little perforated shields, from which, according to Professor 

 Miall,! exude the waxy threads which covered the body ; also 

 the curious, long, three-jointed proboscis or " rostrum," which 

 lies along the body ventrally when at rest, becomes obvious, 

 and projecting from it may be seen the three long fine lancets 

 found in all Rhyncota (p. 276). Here they are unusually long, 

 and their function at this time of year seems to be to fix the 

 insect firmly to the spot where it hibernates, and hence they 



1 Injurimis and Useful Insects, by Professor Miall, 1902. 



