101 



packed. Each piece was inspected with the following result : 

 One cane borer beetle and two larvae of the same; one larva of 

 a small Buprcstid beetle cutting a transverse tunnel slightly 

 under the surface, also a few adults and larvae of ''mealy 

 bugs" {Dactylopius calceolariac) . 



Two packages of sugar cane cuttings came in by mail from 

 Queensland ; upon inspection the cane was found to be seri- 

 ously attacked by a skin fungus, first appearing on the cane in 

 small pustul-like proturberances, afterwards rupturing the 

 skin from which issue the black fungus threads; besides the 

 above fungus, strong colonies of "mealy bugs" were hidden 

 at the base of the leaves that were in a healthy condition and 

 breeding as if they were in a cane field. The cane and pack- 

 ing was burned, saving samples of each pest in glass jars con- 

 taining formalin. 



Another importation of sugar cane, this time from the Philip- 

 pine Islands, consisted of two packages done up in bamboo. 

 The sugar cane contained evidence of what appeared to be a 

 Lepidopterous cane borer and numerous punctures made bj^ 

 "leaf-hoppers." We consigned cane and packages to the fire. 



COCOANUT PESTS. 



In January a local schooner brought a cargo of coeoanuts, in- 

 cluding fourteen hundred and fifteen young trees for sale, 

 from the Island of Palmyra ; upon inspection we found the 

 trees infested with small worms destroying the leaves and dif- 

 fering from the cocoanut palm worm (Om lodes hlackburni). 

 The leaves were also infested with microscopic, light colored 

 mites that were feeding upon the chlorophyll, giving the leaves 

 a blotched appearance. All the trees were destroyed by fire 

 and we sealed down all hatches and closed up all ports, doors, 

 etc., with paper pasted over to prevent the escape of the gas; 

 we fumigated the entire vessel with quadruple strength of 

 hydrocyanic acid gas. 



