1908.] Brown Scale of Gooseberry and Currant. 197 



brown or ochreous brown. At this stage the integument 

 becomes hard and brittle and bears a number of transverse 

 wrinkles at the sides. The female begins to lay her eggs 

 while the body is yet soft and tumid; and as the process 

 develops the ventral surface of the insect shrinks until it 

 finally reaches the under surface of the outer hardened skin, 

 so that a relatively large cavity is formed beneath the insect 

 which is filled with hundreds of whitish translucent eggs. 

 At this stage the insect dies and her dead body (Figs. 3-5), 



figs. 3-5. — The Gooseberry Scale (Lecanium ribis) on rose (Fig. 3), on plum 

 (Fig. 4) and on peach (Fig. 5). All natural size in sitti on the food plants. 



the so-called " scale," forms a protection for the eggs, and 

 for a short period also for the young larvae or lice." The 

 young escape from beneath the parent chiefly through the 

 little slit or cleft at the posterior extremity, leaving behind 

 them the effete, white, egg shells and a little white mealy 

 secretion. The young larvae (Fig. i) are quite minute, 

 about the size of a large cheese mite, which they somewhat 

 resemble, except that they possess but three pairs of legs, 

 have rather long antennae, and two long bristles at the end 

 of the abdomen. They are active for a short time, but soon 



