Identification help please? Egg cases?

[hemmonsp]

Can anyone help me identify the above? They look like some sort of egg case and when you split them open they contain lots of tiny pink round eggs. They are slightly fluffy white things and they cling to the stems of my shrubs. I have a shrub in the garden which is smothered in them. They vary in size from 3mm to 1cm and the white surface looks almost ribbed with a brownish cap at the top. I'm afraid its not a great photo but hopefully someone will know what they are. Thanks!

[jaguarondi]

Some sort of scale insect maybe. See -
Prime example of scale insect - My Garden

[hemmonsp]

Thanks! They do look very much like the example you gave me. Weird things though because if the brown bit is the insect itself, it doesn't seem to move at all - they just seem to stay in the same position. But maybe that's only while they wait for the eggs to hatch. Thanks again for your help.
P.

[hemmonsp]

Just Googled Scale Insects and they are definitely what I've got! In fact the one I've got appears to be a cottony cushion scale! Apparantly (according to Wikipedia), when mature the insect remains stationary and produces a white egg sac which encases hundreds of red eggs. Actually quite fascinating creatures despite the fact that they are killing my shrubs!
Thanks again.

[jaguarondi]

Originally Posted by hemmonsp

if the brown bit is the insect itself, it doesn't seem to move at all - they just seem to stay in the same position.

I think that's what scale insects do - just sit still and blend with the background.