9S ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



BIRDS RECEIVED DURING THE YEAR 1914 



Porzana carolinw (Sora or Carolina Rail). 



Gallinula galeata (Florida Gallinule). 



Agelaius phoeniceus (Red-Winged Blackbird). 



Mniotilta varia (Black and White Warbler). 



Compsothlypis americana usnew (Northern Parula Warbler). 



SCALE PARASITES 



The subject of scale parasites continues to prove of tremendous 

 importance in Pennsylvania. There is no doubt of the fact that the 

 San Jos6 scale has been destructive over entire regions, country -wide 

 in extent, by the parasites of the San Jose scale. These are exceed- 

 ingly minute wasp-like creatures of different species, but all, as far 

 as I have been able to learn by careful investigation and rearing of 

 specimens, belong to the great order of Hymenoptera or wasp-like 

 insects. 



We have given a great deal of time to the rearing and practical 

 dissemination of scale parasites as a means of suppressing the San 

 Josd scale, and have definitely succeeded in a remarkable manner in 

 this important work. We have not been greatly interested in the 

 identification of species for the reason that this has not been as im- 

 portant as some of our self-appointed critics would make others sup- 

 pose. For example, the most common species of scale parasite in 

 this State has been identified by one of the leading entomologists of 

 the country as Prospatella aurantii, and by another P. perniciosi. 

 When one of these prominent entomologists insists that it is one 

 species, and another insists that it is the other, and the parasites go 

 on destroying the scale. What matters it to us whether it be of one 

 scientific name or of another. The important point is to aid it in its 

 good work, and see to it that it is introduced into those parts of the 

 State and country which it has not yet reached, and let it do in the 

 orchards of other growers in the State just what we know it has 

 done in the large orchards belonging to the writer and those of Ms 

 neighbors for many miles around his premises. 



In the Annual Report of the State Entomologist of New Jersey 

 considerable space was given to criticising our work with parasites, 

 for the reason, as claimed by the writer, that he was afraid we would 

 recommend the use of the parasites to the exclusion of the spray 

 pump. This was but a presumption on his part, as we never made 

 such a recommendation, although the fact remains that the writer 

 owns old apple trees that were once badly infested with the San 

 eTose scale, and were left entirely un sprayed for the purpose of obser- 

 vation and experimentation, and during the past year these same 

 trees produced fruits as fine as any produced in the country, which 

 were absolutely free from San Jos§ scale. In fact, there is no San 

 Jos6 scale to be found alive on any of these trees at the present 

 time, as it has been cleaned up entirely by the work of the parasites 

 alone. 



We are prepared to emphasize the point made in the Annual Re- 

 port of this oflftce for last year, to the effect that it is possible to 

 transport these parasites by mail or express to a considerable dis- 

 tance and introduce them into other infested orchards. We have 

 succeeded in introducing the parasites into certain orchards of 



