INSECTS INJURIOUS TO AGRICULTURE 369 



in the north of the kingdom, in the province of Traz-os-Montes, where 

 it had previously made its appearance. 



Icerya purchasi and Novius cardinalis in Italy. — Icerya purchasi was 

 introduced accidentally into Italy at the end of the year 1899 or in the 

 spring of the year 1900, without any indication of the origin of the 

 infection. But it was observed for the first time, in the month of May, 

 1900, at Portici, near Naples. It was there found in a little garden 

 upon orange trees, and was represented only by a rather small number 

 of individuals. The proprietor of the garden, ignorant of the char- 

 acter of the insect and of the clanger arising from its presence, took 

 no trouble to destroy it, and the scale insect, able to develop freely 

 without enemies, spread so rapidly that in the autumn it already cov- 

 ered the bark and leaves of the oranges upon which it had first been 

 observed. Startled at this sudden invasion, but not yet deciding to 

 apply to competent persons, the owner of the garden tried to stop the 

 trouble by cutting down the most infested trees without bothering him- 

 self with those that were not badly infested, so the infestation con- 

 tinued. The eighteenth of November, the same year, the entomological 

 laboratory was notified of the occurrence; and Professor Berlese, the 

 director of the laboratory, recognized the species as Icerya purchasi. 

 The insect was still very localized, and it was found at this time only 

 in the adult condition in the little garden which was the center of the 

 infection, and upon a large bay tree which occurred in another neigh- 

 boring garden, occupying a high position and whose branches overhung 

 the infested garden. This bay tree, on account of the strong winds 

 which blow at that time of the year, constituted a center especially 

 favorable to the dispersion of the larva? into the surrounding trees, and, 

 in fact, the larvae were found in all the little gardens about. An exam- 

 ination was made and it was found that the infested area did not 

 exceed one hectare. 



On account of the small spread of the insect they tried to exter- 

 minate it by an energetic application of insecticides. The first thing 

 done was to cut down the bay tree, which was the principal center of 

 diffusion, and to burn it after having cut off and disinfected all the 

 branches bearing leaves. In the infested gardens all the affected trees 

 were cut back and all the branches were disinfected with a solution of 

 rubina. 9 The low-growing plants were treated with sprayings of the 

 same insecticide. They hoped to rid these of the insects in this way, 

 but in the following spring living larva?, still very numerous, were 

 found crawling over the plants treated, and then, despairing of destroy- 

 ing them with insecticides, they had recourse to Novius cardinalis. At 

 Professor Berlese's request successive sendings were forwarded from 



9 Kubina is a mixture of equal parts of soda and tar, recommended by 

 Berlese, and very much employed in Italy. 



vol. lxxii — 24. 



