PREFACE TO PART V. 



In publishing Part V., the last but one of the Destructive 

 Insects of Victoria, I may remark that some comparatively 

 new insect pests have been included, especially the more 

 formidable of those attacking orchards, crops, and forests. 



As in Part IV., it will be noticed that some prominence 

 has been given to insects attacking our forests. In 

 America, India, and Germany, where forestry has been 

 raised to a " fine art," and a huge commercial success, 

 whole volumes dealing with forest pests have been pub- 

 lished, and no expense spared in enlightening foresters and 

 others similarly engaged. The Commonwealth of Aus- 

 tralia is singularly rich in valuable timbers, the utilization 

 of which is creating a great commercial industry. It is 

 therefore advantageous that all possible information 

 regarding forest insects should be widely disseminated. 



As I have endeavoured to avoid technical names and 

 terms as much as possible, it has been necessary to invent 

 common names for many of the insects described. Fortu- 

 nately, but very few additional orchard pests have to be 

 recorded since the publication of Part IV., but, as we do 

 not know the time when more of the native insects may 

 leave their natural food to attack orchards, it follows that 

 the distribution of practical and reliable information 

 regarding them is a matter of. urgent necessity. 



Some additional insect-destroying birds are also dealt 

 with in the present volume. As these birds are absolutely 

 indispensable to the welfare of the orchardist, farmer, and 

 forester, it is to be hoped that, with the aid of the coloured 

 plates, they may be readily distinguished from the fruit 

 and grain- eating kinds. 



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