New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-02

You probably never made a trip TO Australia 10
Investigate the natural enemies of tho Fluted Scale.
But IL you had been an cntomologist my friend Pro-
fcssor Riley might have sent you there for the
Agricultural Department. | have the Professors
for il that the Flutcd Scale IS pcrnicous to the
orange groves Of the Pacific Coast, and that, being
1ccrya. 1T can be entirely excrmlnated. But
this pernicious Futed Scale has natural enemies in
Australia and they are Of the predaceous species.
The agent Of the Department who sent to the
antipOdes had fair success. The Cardinal Ncdalia,
insect which he brought back to pit against the
perniclous Fluted scale, has multiplied amazingly
science Is nothing IL not exact. yet confess to feel
Ing trlhc incrcdulous when Professor Riley gravey
informs me that under favorable circumstances the
offspring Of single female beetle Of the Cardinal
Vcdalla kind may in six months amount 10 over
twenty two trilliOns. But you must allow some
thing for the glorious climate Of California regret
TO state, however that there is not enough OF Cardinal
Ncdal'a to allow single generous instinct, for il
wants 10 spread the face OF the California earth
rapidly that there IS for the other natural
enemies II the pernlcious Futed Scale to increase
and multiply. IL won't allow even a few billions
Of them to live side by side with it and prey on the
common enemy. The conduct of the Vcdalia in
clbowing Of existence the little Dptcron Cryptic
choctum iccryac) has been particularly reprchcnsbic
and is Indignantly commented by the eutomologist.
various. on his very first walk at sydney lie dis
covered number OF icerya infcsiing pitt0sfonm at
the town hall premises ana on the succeeding DAYS
he found few more in one ~ the public parks, also
this pitosforum 1T adelaide he attended the gar
dcncls' meeting. and surprised TO find that few
Of the gentlemen had even a speaking acquaintance
with the iccrya and Of were not acquairtcd
with its natural enemies. But at North Adelaide
where lots Of iccya, the agent discovered
feeding upon one Of them the lady bird, vcdaa car
dinas which his chronological instinct told him was
10 become famous IN the United states 1t was here
also that he discovered ouQrhynoht which is I'M
known to even the learned Professor Riley. At Man
num- on the Murray River, the agent gathered great
deal Of prdaccous larvae which he shipped 10 Cali
forala At Gordon Il few miles from sydney he found
a small black and lemon GLOW vedalla breakfastlng
on woody aphs. ana the same circumstance was Oh
served at TOowoomba, Queensland. ON the Yorla
Peninsula. Queensland, the agent baked In
HI, efforts to obtain collection Of the natural enemies
the pcrnicous nuted scale. because in that section
the calculating and industrious ants ate up the We
dallas eggs.
Going back 10 Melbourne the agent resisted tempta
ton that scientists tho world over would have Jus
titled him In yielding TO- In "A churchyard on Collins
st., upon small trees Of pittosfoum unduatum lie saw
the largest colony Of pcdaccous larvae that he had
yet observed. Tho fence was high, and the sexton
not about policeman with whom he consulted
in regard to getting the tempting specimens advised
him not TO jump from the fence, for they would
surely have him arrested The agent Therefore left
the tempting specimens und disturbed, and wen. in search
of Others But mark how Virtue j. its own reward
IN the of scientist. An unsuccessful attempt
Had been made to ind out the whereabouts of mono
phlocbd. Of which some specimens had previously been
sent 10 California. soon after putting away the tenipta
ton to climb unlawfully the fence into the col
Inns It. curchyard, the agent discovered these
precious monophocblds under loose banks of cucaly p
In the parks-which had no high fence,-at ST. kilda
There other interesting incidents in tn chase
OF the Agricultural Departments agent after the
ural enemies Of the nucd scale, TO which may refer
future occasion. For the present he may
be safely left at the st. kda parks happy in the dis
c0very Of the mOnophlOcbids.