184 STATES OF INSECTS, 



cosus a . It was discovered by Modeev upon some sere 

 fir-leaves in a thick bed of moss. Panzer lias figured a 

 second found upon Geranium sanguineum, which from 

 the figure appears distinct from De Geer's, under the 

 name of Coccus dubius b . Fabricius regards this as syno- 

 nymous with the Dorthesia characias of Bosc, inhabiting 

 Euphorbia characias in South Europe c . Olivier found 

 a species upon the bramble d . I once took one, which 

 appears to differ in some respects from the preceding spe- 

 cies, upon Melampyfum cristatum, and our indefatigable 

 friend Mr. Sheppard has sent me another, on what plant 

 found I do not remember, which does not agree with any 

 that I have mentioned. The body of the animals of this 

 genus is covered by a number of cottony or waxy lamina? 

 which partly cover each other, and are arranged usually 

 in a triple series : in De Geer's figure the series appears 

 quadruple, the lateral ones being placed obliquely. The 

 anterior one in my specimen covered die head, and they 

 are all canaliculate. Above the anus are four diverging 

 ones : the whole are of the most dazzling whiteness. 

 When these laminae are removed, the body appears di- 

 vided into segments. 



With respect to those larva? which imitate slugs by the 

 viscid covering that besmears them and issues from their 

 pores, we learn from Professor Peck that this exudation 

 takes place as soon as they are hatched ; that the animal 

 retains its humidity although exposed to the fiercest heat 

 of the sun, and that at the last moult the skin becomes 



* vii. 604. t.xliv.f. 20. b jr n . Germ. Init. xxxvi. 21. 



'■ fyst. Rhyng. 311. 29. J N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. ix. 554. 



