ON THE NATURAL, HISTORY OF THE LAC INSECT. 197 



Having had an opportunity of examining the lac insect just previous to 

 the evolution of its young, and of watching the latter part from this period 

 up to the time at which they become incarcerated in the resinous 

 substance which they secrete around themselves, known in commerce 

 by the name of " lac," and finding that a description of the changes 

 which the insect undergoes still remains unpublished, so far as I am aware, 

 while that which has been stated on the subject is more or less incorrect, 

 I am not without hope that the following observations may prove both new 

 and acceptable. Thus much is known — that the substance called " lac " 

 consists of a resinous incrustation, partly encircling or scattered over the 

 small branches of several trees and shrubs of different kinds in India ; that 

 the incrustation is cellular, and that each cell indicates the position of one 

 of the insects which secreted it ; that the insect contains a red colouring 

 matter, called " lac-dye," which is also an article of commerce, and is 

 allied to cochineal ; and that, at a certain period of the year, vast numbers 

 of young animals leave these cells, and, spreading themselves over the 

 neighbouring branches, fix themselves to the bark, which they pierce with 

 their beaks, and begin to pour forth from their bodies the resinous sub- 

 stance above mentioned. 



On the 25th of June last (1860), my attention was drawn to the subject, 

 more particularly by a fresh branch of the custard-apple tree (Anona 

 squamosa), bearing portions of the lac, having been presented to me by my 

 friend Major Burke. The branch was taken from a tree growing in the 

 enclosure of the Bombay Mint, within a few yards of the sea, and in the 

 midst of the smoke of steam-engines, smelting-furnaces, and the atmo- 

 sphere of a crowded population ; while the resinous incrustation and the red 

 colouring matter, both in quality and quantity, did not appear to me to be 

 less than that which is produced by the insect in localities widely separated, 

 as well from the sea as from all human habitations. On receiving this 

 branch, and observing that it was fresh, and that the insects in the incrus- 

 tation were also;living, my curiosity was directed to ascertaining the form 

 and organology of the latter. Meanwhile the young began to pour fourth 

 — that is, on or about the 1st of July, and by the middle of that month the 

 whole branch had become covered by them ; but, for want of nourishment, 

 as they became stationary, so they died, without, apparently, secreting any 

 of the resinous substance around them ; and thus I was obliged to visit the 

 custard-apple tree itself, for the purpose of examining the subsequent 

 changes the insect undergoes, which changes, together with a description of 

 the form and organology of the full-grown insect, so far as I have been 

 able to ascertain them, will now be related. 



The first feature that strikes the eye on looking at the surface of the 

 incrustation, when the insects which are within it are alive, is the presence 

 of a kind of Vhite powder, like that observed about the cochineal insects ; 

 this is concentrated here and there into little spots, and, on being more 

 closely examined, will be seen to be chiefly confined to three branches of 

 curly, hair-like filaments, which radiate from three small holes in each 



