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390 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1930 



view one of the most striking is the effective work that he did in 

 the investigation of the grapevine Phylloxera and in the subsequent 

 selection of resistant vine stocks from the United States for shipment 

 to Europe for grafting purposes. He thus played an important 

 part in the saving of the wine industry. 



During the two years that Comstock served at Washington he 

 accomplished a number of important things. One of them was the 

 preparation of a large volume on cotton insects, but still more im- 

 portant was his study of the scale insects. He worked out the clas- 

 sification and life histories of very many of the injurious scale in- 

 sects of the United States, an accomplishment that proved to be 

 of the greatest value, since in the ensuing years many scale insects 

 proved to be extremely injurious. 



During Riley's final term of office (1881-1894) progress was great. 

 Many important investigations were begun. The entomological 

 service was made a division, and the funds for research were slowly 

 increased by Congress. Aside from the rather elaborate annual 

 reports, many bulletins and circulars as well as a few special reports 

 were published. Seven volumes of an important illustrated periodi- 

 cal bulletin called " Insect Life " were also published and very widely 

 circulated. The achievement of Riley's administration, however, 

 that attracted the widest popular and scientific interest was the bril- 

 liantly successful introduction of the Coccinellid, Vedalia {Noviv/s) 

 cardinalis from Australia to destroy the cottony cushion scale in 

 California. This scale was causing the citrus growers of that State 

 the greatest alarm. The very existence of citrus culture in Califor- 

 nia was threatened. Some orchards actually went down under the 

 ax. But in a very few months after the introduction of the little 

 beetle all fears were gone. So rapid was the multiplication of the in- 

 troduced insect and so great was its voracity, that the scale insect 

 soon ceased to be feared. This was the first large demonstration of 

 the possible value of the introduction from one country to another of 

 the natural enemies of an introduced insect pest. 



In 1876, as indicated in a previous paragraph, the Federal Con- 

 gress appropriated $18,000 to be spent by a commission of three 

 men to investigate the Rocky Mountain locust. This action was the 

 first national legislation of any importance of this kind. It was 

 largely brought about by hard and intelligent work on the part of 

 Professor Riley. It is interesting to note that while the bill making 

 this appropriation was under discussion in the House, The Nation, 

 considered at the time to be possibly the leading journal representing 

 the best public opinion, published in its issue for March 16 the fol- 

 lowing satirical note: 



The Republicans in the Senate, not to be beaten at investigations, have 

 passed a bill to investigate insects injurious to vegetation — the locust, the 



