STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
493 
less pupae, retaining around them the prickly skins of their lar¬ 
va state. The appearance which they now present is truly re¬ 
markable, the twig thus covered bearing the most perfect resem¬ 
blance to a stem covered with burrs or thorny seeds, like the 
ripened spikes of the hound’s tongue (Cynoglossum officinale) or 
some more prickly plant. No bird will be disposed to approach 
anything having such a noli-me-tangere aspect. And how curi¬ 
ous it is that the scale insect by killing the leaves and making 
the twigs bare should be adapting them for the abode of its mor¬ 
tal foe. With such a discriminating eye has the Author of na¬ 
ture planned the economy of these useful little creatures, making 
it on the one hand their especial work to destroy a pernicious 
family of insects, and on the other hand shielding them from 
being destroyed in their turn. They would thus appear to be 
under the special protection of Providence, and it is remarkable 
that long ago, in a superstitious age, and when the habits of this 
tribe of insects could have been but vaguely if at all known, 
they were regarded in this same light, and in diiferent countries, 
and are supposed to have thus obtained in France the name of 
“ God’s cows ” and “ The Virgin’s cattle ” and in England “ Our 
Lady’s birds,” and children were incited to regard them with 
kindness and leave them at liberty, by chanting to them to “ fly 
away home, your house is on fire, your children will burn.” 
In this family, as stated in my last Report, the pup® remain 
partly enveloped in the prickly skin of the larvae. In some spe¬ 
cies, however, the larva skin is thrown entirely off, as I stated it 
to be in the fifteen spotted or apple-tree lady-bird, and I observe 
Mr. Westwood (Introduction, vol. i, p. 396) describes the C. bi- 
pustulata as throwing off its skin in the same manner. In the 
species now under consideration, the pupa appears from the 
empty skins to be almost entirely enveloped in the skin of the 
larva, with the rows of spines and their prickles protecting it in 
every direction, and the head and legs of the larva retaining 
their 4 natural form, the latter being on the side towards the twig 
from which the pupa is suspended. The empty pupa skin is 
glassy and of a dull yellow color with blackish clouds. It re¬ 
gains partly protruded from the lower or anterior part of the 
clelt in the back of the larva skin. 
