THE COTTONY MAPLE SCALE 
7 
The egg laying extends over almost the entire period of cotton 
secretion, but is most active during June. In many cases it doubtless 
begins in May and extends, in some cases at least, into July. 
Fig. 2. Females of the cottony maple scale: a, ovisac opened to show eggs ; b, females with 
cottony mass partly secreted; c, slightly enlarged female ; d, parasitized winter form ; 
d’ the same slightly enlarged ; e, hibernating winter form. All except c and d’ natur, 
al size. (Drawn by Miss M. A. Palmer). 
The eggs aie tiny oval spheroids, pale cream in color. The num¬ 
ber as given by the older entomologists is from one to two thousand. 
These figuies are probably somewhat too large and more recent writers 
have reduced the estimate. Cotton mentions from three hundred to 
one thousand and Sanders says that the number may reach fifteen 
hundred. 
The egg hatching likewise consumes considerable time. To 
quote from Dr. Howard on observations made in Washington, D. C.; 
“The young lice hatch early in summer, usually in June, but occassionally at 
least as early as May 22. The hatching period usually extends on into early July 
but may last until August.” 
Seasonal influences appear to bear considerable weight. Mr. H. 
E. Weed makes the following note of conditions in Chicago in 1904: 
“During the past summer the eggs were slow in hatching, as the season was very 
backward. Up to June 25, practically no eggs were hatched. Two ciuite warm days 
occ urred about July 10, and this served to bring them out.” 
In the visitation of 1884, Dr. 4 orbes states that the young were 
abundant by the middle of June, but in some localities 25 per cent of 
the eggs were not hatched on July 19. Colorado observations give the 
following: “June 22, 1901. Scales from Delta and Montrose were 
full of eggs, but no lice hatching yet.” “July 2, 1902. All hatched 
and beginning to scatter from twigs of soft maple from Colorado 
Springs.” “Denver, June 10, 1904. The scales are just be ginning to 
raise and expose the cottony secretion of the louse. I find on examin¬ 
ing these scales that a few eggs have already been deposited.” The 
foregoing notes were made by Prof. Gillette. 
On July 15, 1905, I visited the parks of Denver and found that 
most of the eggs had already hatched. In fact, unhatched clusters 
were very difficult to find. There appears to be an unexplained 
phenomena in that the eggs laid on some trees hatch at times differing 
