256 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL.84 



Berlese, by the way, told me on this visit that he had seen an 

 advertisement in a newspaper to the effect that a South American 

 government offered a reward of 50,000 francs for the discovery of a 

 remedy for Diaspis pcntagona on the fruit trees in that country. 

 He said that he had visited the consul in Rome and had taken him 

 twigs of mulberry infested by parasitized Diaspis, and that these had 

 been sent out to the South American country. Later he learned from 

 the newspapers that the parasites had taken hold out there and had 

 virtually controlled the scale. He had waited for his reward, and hear- 

 ing nothing, and being in Rome, he called on the consul who stated 

 that he would consult with his government. Months later, Berlese 

 l)eing again in Rome, again called at the consulate and was informed 

 that a commission had been appointed in his country to make a report 

 on the matter. Again months passed, and again being in Rome he 

 called at the consulate and was told that the committee had decided 

 to divide the price between Berlese, who had sent the parasites, and 

 Howard, who had described the species. Again months elapsed, and 

 eventually Berlese received an illuminated manuscript conveying the 

 (hanks of the Government. This illuminated parchment I saw in his 

 Prospaltella museum. But neither he nor I ever heard anything more 

 of the 50,000 francs. 



There is one more little story that should be told in connection with 

 this really historical Prospaltella matter: One day, after the success 

 of the Prospaltella had become a matter of rather common informa- 

 tion, a charming elderly lady called on me at my office in Washington 

 and introduced herself as the lady who owned the garden in which 

 Marlatt had originally cut the lilac twig. She suggested to me, with 

 a somewhat ironical smile, that it would be only proper for the 

 Italian Government to recognize her agency in this matter ; that she 

 would consider the matter if they were to offer her some form of 

 recognition, hinting at a ])ossil>le Italian title. 



Silvestri had already done much sound work when he succeeded 

 l^erlese in charge of the entomological work at the Royal Agricul- 

 tural College in Portici, and this work ])lain]y foreshadowed his sub- 

 sequent rather remarkable career. He has published upon many sub- 

 jects, and has shown himself to be a man not only of enormous indus- 

 try but of brilliant intellect. The stream of important papers that has 

 issued from his laboratory has been of the highest rank, and the 

 number of these publications is astonishing, (^f many of the most 

 important. Silvestri 'has been the sole author, but he has trained a 

 number of fine workers. One can get a good idea of the character of 

 the training given by Silvestri from the large, well illustrated volume 



