53 



NOTES FROM THE DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY OF 

 THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY. 



By Jacob Kotinsky. 



I was very much interested in the letter of Dr. Walter H. 

 Evans, in the January (1906) number, relative to the "green- 

 bug" (Coccus z'iridis) on lemon trees in Hawaii. It is inter- 

 esting to note that the learned Doctor bases his criticism upon a 

 newspaper clipping. Through an oversight the newspaper repre- 

 sentative was not supplied with a copy of the report as read be- 

 fore the Board, and as a result there is considerable discrepancy 

 between the newspaper report and that given in the December 

 (1905) "Forester." But Dr. Evans is evidently, not entomologist 

 enough to have realized that the green scale does not attack 

 vanilla ; it is not surprising therefore that he did not realize the 

 other inaccuracies of the newspaper story. 



The facts of the case are clearly set forth in the report as pub- 

 lished in the December number of the "Forester." That report, 

 however, does not contain specific references to or quotations 

 from Part III of "Coccidae of Ceylon," published by Mr. E. 

 Ernest Green, the Government Entomologist of Ceylon, and au- 

 thor of the species of scale insect in question, upon which the 

 statements concerning the relation of the "green-bug" to coffee in 

 Ceylon were based. These w^ere not deemed necessary to include 

 in the published report. It is surprising though that Dr. Evans, 

 wdio seems to have made an effort to include references to all au- 

 thorities on the subject, should have omitted quoting this emi- 

 nent authority, who is one of the best living authorities on scale 

 insects, and who has made a thorough first hand study of the in- 

 sect in the field. Was the omission due to oversight or con- 

 venience? It is a notable fact that in the work referred to, is- 

 sued in 1904 and written in 1903, Mr. Green devotes four pages 

 to Coccus Z'iridis, nearly three of which consider its economic 

 aspect, while an average of not more than one page is allotted to 

 each of the other species treated, and there are thirty-two of 

 them. This is what the author says of the "green-bug" : ** 



Coccidae of Ceylon, Pt. Ill, pp. 200-203. 



