770 [Assembly 
pedicels, insomuch that botanists have in some 'instances actually 
mistaken them for vegetable productions of this kind. 
Authors state that these eggs are deposited on leaves in clusters 
of ten or a dozen. I have a small willow leaf, upon the mid-vein 
of which, In a distance of one inch, twenty-three of these eggs 
are implanted, with seven more in a row close by the side of these, 
and five more in a second row, making thirty-five eggs in all, 
which undoubtedly was the stock deposited by a single individual 
In one night. But, however it may be with the European Lace- 
wings, certain it is that most of our American species of these 
insects do not place their eggs in clusters, but singly, one or two 
upon the edges or surface of the leaf. On a young apple tree in 
my yard, about eight feet high, I found these eggs the first of July, 
scattered over all the leaves. This tree had ten limbs, each about 
three feet long, and inserted upon the leaves of one of these limbs 
and its twigs I counted sixty-four eggs, and some probably escaped 
my notice. There was thus at least six hundred eggs upon that one 
small tree, all seeming to have been newly laid. And upon look¬ 
ing about, I discovered these eggs upon every other fruit and for¬ 
est tree in my yards, and also upon the fillets of cloth by which 
newly set trees were tied to stakes for support,-and two were even 
found attached to the iron trimmings of the latch to my office 
door. Being thus profusely scattered, it will readily be conceived 
what an amount of benefit these insects render us. 
Having enjoyed favorable opportunities for inspecting the habits 
of this family of insects, and having noticed several points in 
their economy different from the observations which have hereto¬ 
fore been recorded, I give their history somewhat in detail, be¬ 
lieving I shall thus render a more valuable contribution to the 
stores of human knowledge, than by occupying the same space 
with brief and superficial notices of a number of dissimilar in¬ 
sects. 
From the accounts usually given in books it would be inferred 
that plant-lice were the exclusive food of the larvae of this family 
of insects. It however is recorded that when in confinement and 
pressed with hunger, they will devour each other, and Mr. Curtis 
