282 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Art. XXXII. — A Chapter in the History of th-e Warfare 



against Insect-pests. 



By W. M. Maskell. 

 [Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 11th July, 1894."] 



Members of this Society will recollect how often I have 

 brought under their notice the procedure of the Americans 

 and other people for lighting the various pests which injure 

 crops or trees ; and it may be thought perhaps that enough 

 has been said on the subject. At the risk, however, of being 

 wearisome, I venture again to draw attention to this matter, 

 and to add another chapter to its history. The plans and 

 methods of mechanical treatment which have been so exten- 

 sively tried in different countries are, of course, still in use, 

 and doubtless they are in many cases quite successful : in- 

 deed, I suppose that the culture of the vine and the orange 

 would be exceedingly difficult and precarious unless these 

 methods were actively pursued. The New Zealand cultivator, 

 as a rule, does not care to attempt anything systematic or 

 properly organized, except, indeed, that every now and then he 

 gets into a terrible fright and scare, and runs wildly to the 

 Government praying for drastic and repressive legislation, 

 which, if he obtained it, would probably be useless. Else- 

 where, especially in America, they manage differently, and 

 combination and co-operation are frequently successful, while 

 in this country the disorganized efforts of a few individuals are 

 mostly futile. But in any case it seems to be rapidly be- 

 coming understood that, whatever may be the value of mecha- 

 nical methods against pests, the best process to be adopted is 

 the introduction of the "natural enemy," and its very careful 

 culture and propagation when once introduced. I will not 

 now inflict again on the Society the well-worn history of 

 Vedalia and Icerya. Everybody here, I presume, knows that 

 pretty well. But the last chapter of that history laid before 

 the members ended with the second journey of Mr. Koebele to 

 Australia, and his introduction from thence into California of 

 several parasitic insects designed to destroy various other 

 scale-blights in that country : a procedure which, as I am 

 given to understand, has been so far successful already as to 

 have helped greatly the eradication of such pests as Lecanium 

 olece and Mytilasjjis pomorum. 



Later on Mr. Koebele v^as engaged by the people of the 

 Sandwich Islands to undertake a similar work for them. 

 These islands are excellently adapted for the cultivation of 

 oranges, lemons, and other fruit, and a large trade could be 



