THE RUTHEKGLEN FLY-PEST. 107 



Fig. 4) into the fruit, Jiiul thereby sucking out and .ihsorh- 

 ing the juices, caused the fruit to shrivel up, become dry, 

 and perfectly useless for either the table or wine-making. 

 Other fruits, as apricots, plums, cherries, and peaches 

 were in many cases rendered perfectly useless and 

 unsaleable ; the peaches and apricots especially having 

 both the appearance and texture of leather. 



In vegetables, potatoes and tomatoes were specially 

 visited by this pest, and in many cases the crop was 

 partiall}" if not wholly destroyed What was to be done ? 

 And being in this fix, it occurred to me to tr}' the use of 

 benzole, by using it with a spray-pump, I having used the 

 former material for many years as a destroyer of insects of 

 all kinds, especially the minute Beetles and Acari which do 

 so much damage to furs, as also to preserved collections, 

 both entomological and botanical. Accordingly some trials 

 were arranged for, these taking place by permission of 

 several of the vignerons in the district. The day was very 

 hot (nearly 100 in the shade) and the Bugs were in countless 

 numbers, covering the berries of the nearly ripe grapes 

 until the latter were hardlv recoo-nisable. We set to Avork 

 with the benzole and the effect was almost magical, as the 

 distribution of the benzole by means of the " Crawford 

 Spray-pump " was so fine and mist-like that every insect 

 touched by the material fell to the ground. A few 

 managed to partially revive, but the great majority were 

 killed almost instantaneously. We then, by agreement, 

 allowed the fruit which had been treated to remain about 

 forty-eight hours on the vine, the result being, that, at the 

 expiration of that time, the grapes were perfectly free from 

 either the taste or smell of the benzole, and the bunches 

 so treated were brouo-ht to a meetino- of the local horti- 

 cultural society at Rutherglen, at which many representa- 

 tive gentlemen of the district were present. 



The geographical range of this comparatively new pest 

 would seem to be very great; I having first received them 

 from the Upper Yarra, near Beenak, a locality which has 

 the heaviest rainfall of any part of the colony, Avhere the 

 insect had attacked the potato crops. I next received 



