journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [ii Dec, 1911. 



Australian dried apples were offered at Bremen, c.i.f., at 65 marks per 50 kilos, 

 apricots at 65s. to 68s. per cwt. Dried fruits coming from California are usually 

 packed in cases of 125 kilos net. .\ustralian raisins would have to compete against 

 sultanas: the latter realizing now 4060 m;irl:s. 



Fruit -pulp so far has only been offered in the slia]je of apricots in this market, 

 but it is understood that contracts have been made for delivery at the price of 

 26-28 marks, but the jjulp so far imported has not been up to the samples submitted, 

 and the Chamber of Commerce had to arrange for arbitration and the pulj) in 

 several instances was sold later on to 23-24 marks. Quite recently there was more 

 demand and spot fruit pulp was asked for at the price of 30 marks per 50 kilos. 

 The main necessity is that the fruit pulp should be divided in halves and they 

 should arrive sound and that the juice be thick and tasty. The fruit pulp received 

 so far has been packed hermetically in tins of 5 kilos. Messrs. Lohmann add 

 that in various cases whole or part consignments arrived in an utterly useless con- 

 dition and were condemned by the authorities. The fruits were mostly packed in 

 wood shavings and each fruit wrapped in tissue j)a])er. 



(Sgd.) J. W. TAVERNER, 



Agent-General for Victoria. 



BENEFICIAL IiNSECTS. 



PARASITIC WASPS. 



C. French, Junr., Acting Govcriiiiicut Entomologist. 



By the majority of people the opinion is held that all insects are 

 necessarily u.seless. This, however, is not the case. Many insects, 

 especially those belonging to the Hyntenoftera order, which includes bees, 

 wasps, ichneumons, &c., are decidedly beneficial and should not be de- 

 stroyed. It is therefore proposed from time to time to give a short 

 account of the various beneficial insects found in Victoria. As the Wasp 

 family contains many examples it will be the first to receive attention. 



The particular wasp illustrated is Magalyra fasciifennis, and is com- 

 monly known as the Long-tailed Wasp. The male is usually much smaller 

 than the female. The latter, however, varies considerably in size and 

 also in colour. Figs, i and 2 are typical specimens. Its general colour 

 is shining black with small whitish hairs on head, thorax, and abdomen, 

 the latter being smooth. The forewings are dark brown with a dark 

 brown colour across the wings and at the tips, but in some females they 

 are sometimes almost black. 



The remarkable ovipositor of the female insect often measures nearly 

 3 in. long. It is composed of three parts ; the actual borer, which 

 occupies the centre, and the two sheaths which act as a protection to the 

 ovipositor when it is not in use. The borer is dark brown, but the 

 sheaths are almost black, and have minute hairlets resembling serrated 

 edges. The three separate pieces resemble horse hair. 



The insect, by means of its ovipositor, can pierce living timber and 

 deposit its eggs in the larvae of the destructive timber and fruit-tree boring 

 beetles, principally the Longicorns (Long-horned Beetles) and the Bupre- 

 stids (Jewel Beetles). When the insect is dead the parts of the ovipositor 

 usually .separate and fall into a lyre-like form. It is in consequence 

 of this propensity that Westwood, the well-known entomologist, gave the 

 genus the name of Megalyra or Large Lyre. 



KXPT.AXATION OF Pl.ATE. 



1. Male Wasp. (Natural size.) 



2. Female Wasp. (Natural size.) 



3. Longicorn Beetle. (Natural size.) 



4 and 5. Timber bored by larvffi of Longicorn Beetle. (Half original size.) 



