1 898.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 95 



cies that is least looked for that becomes domesticated here. And how 

 easy it is to overlook things is illustrated in Massachusetts, where, in the 

 very domain constantly covered by the Gypsy Moth workers, the brown- 

 tail moth succeeded in establishing itself, and becoming a serious pest, 

 was entirely unnoticed. 



The Secretary of Agriculture is empowered under the act to accept a 

 certificate from foreign authority in lieu of the inspection provided for, 

 but here we have this point: How can a foreign entomologist, looking 

 over nursery stock, tell what is under ground ? How can he tell what 

 root lice may be working at the roots? No nursery is free from all in- 

 sects, and there are sure to be in every foreign plantation a number which 

 are never harmful there. They are things the entomologists are used to 

 and pay no attention to; yet those very insects may be the ones which 

 become most harmful here if they were introduced. A certificate could 

 be given by such an inspector that no dangerously injurious insects had 

 been found, and it might be perfectly true; but insects introduced under 

 such a certificate might become dangerously injurious in this country and 

 the certificate would carry the plants in without any question at this port. 



Another question arises, and that is, would those certificates be accepted 

 in all States, and could their acceptance be compelled ? I doubt whether 

 a foreign certificate would land a plant or fruit in the purchaser's hand in 

 California without inspection. In California the county inspectors do not 

 always accept each other's certificates, and I am strongly inclined to be- 

 lieve that Mr. Craw would hesitate a long while before accepting a Japanese 

 certificate that the plants contained in that case were free from injurious 

 insects; yet if he did not he would be in direct conflict with the federal 

 law. Is the game worth the cost ? 



The bill carries an appropriation of one hundred thousand dollars. In- 

 spectors are to be appointed at ports of entry and to make examinations 

 of nurseries. I believe that these examinations are to be made without 

 cost to the nurserymen. Why ? Why should the United States be com- 

 pelled to pay for giving a nurseryman a commercial rating ? I fully admit, 

 as already stated, the desirability of checking the spread of diseases and 

 insects, but I must confess that I am entirely skeptical as to the usefulness 

 and effectiveness of the proposed national legislation. J. B. SMITH. 



The San Jose Scale. I havejust read Dr. J. B. Smith's excellent disser- 

 tation on this subject in the Report of the New Jersey Station for 1897, 

 and desire to make a few observations: 



1. Since I wrote the bulletin on the San Jost- scale and its allies, Mr. 

 Craw has two or three times found Aspidiotus pcrniciosus on trees from 

 Japan. For example, a plum tree which arrived Jan. 25, 1898, was in- 

 fested by this and Diaspis amygdali. 



2. I consider it probable that the scale is a native of the more or less 

 elevated forest regions of Japan, not of the sea-coast. The scales found 

 near sea-level in Japan seem to be oriental tropical types, with very little 

 of the palaearctic element indeed. The enemies of scale insects found 



