202 ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE LAC INSECT. 



few moments, and then, withdrawing the penis, goes to another female, and 

 so on till his office is fulfilled. 



I now watched the process for some time ; and having sufficiently satisfied 

 myself of the fact as just stated, the two males were removed for microscopical 

 examination, and the branch left as before without any. Next morning, to 

 my astonishment, I again found two more males on it, actively engaged in 

 performing their duty like the former ones ; and then it struck me that 

 they must come from some of the incrustations ; so I examined the latter, 

 and soon saw that there were two distinct kinds of incrustations on the 

 bark — one circular, slightly larger than the other, and, when isolated from 

 the rest (which for the most part are agglomerated), presenting twelve 

 notches or teeth symetrically arranged round the base, six on each side, 

 with the three holes above, and the white tufts projecting from them as 

 before described : this, of course, was the female. The other form of 

 incrustation was narrower and elliptical, like that of the young insect at 

 evolution, but without serrated base, holes, or white hair-like ap- 

 pendages. 



Finally, it was observed that the latter were frequently empty, and open 

 at their unfixed and elevated end, while from others the tail of the male 

 insect itself was projecting. Thus the origin of the male and the process 

 of impregnation as to time and act were easily determined ; while it was 

 also observed that in some parts there were almost, if not quite, as many 

 male as female incrustations present, in others not so many. On the 

 evolution of the young, therefore, all at first would appear to attach them- 

 selves to the bark, and pierce it for nutriment — at least, all that live — 

 preparatory to undergoing further general and generative development (for 

 all are alike, apparently, when first hatched), and that then they respec- 

 tively become changed for the fulfilment of their ultimate functions — the 

 males for impregnating the females, and the females for secreting the lac 

 and developing the new brood ; but the latter, as before shown, does not 

 appear till the month of July of the following year. 



Thus we see that the young Coccus, as we have termed it, merits rather 

 the term of " larva" (from the metamorphosis which it subsequently under- 

 goes to pass into the matured forms of male and female respectively) than 

 that of " young insect." Again, all begin to secrete from their bodies the 

 resinous substance, even before they have fixed themselves to the bark ; 

 for those had it which were hatched from the lac on the branch that was 

 first presented to me, after the latter was dry and dead ; so that no doubt 

 can exist of the lac being produced by the insect itself, and that it is not a 

 mere exudation from the tree, which follows the insertion of its proboscis 

 into the bark, as has been stated. But while those which are to become 

 males are entirely, though but temporarily, shut in by the lac, which they 

 subsequently elaborate from the juices of the tree on which they may be 

 located, those which are to become females preserve throughout the three 

 apertures before mentioned, from which project the white tufts of 

 tracheae. 



