456 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 7 



prepared cages to bring with him to Honolulu. Unfortunately he was 

 taken down with typhoid fever on leaving Port Moresby, New Guinea, 

 and on his arrival at Brisbane, Australia, was forced to abandon his 

 voyage and go to a hospital. His i^arasite cages were sent on to Hono- 

 lulu, but, lacking proper care en route, none of the parasites survived. 



After several weeks in hospital, Muir recovered sufficiently to return 

 to Honolulu, where after a short period of recuperation, he again 

 undertook the introduction of this Tachinid from New Guinea. 

 This attempt resulted successfully. It was accomplished by the use of 

 relay breeding stations in the following manner. Mr. J. C. Kershaw, 

 an entomologist whom Muir had met at Macao, China, was secured 

 to assist in the undertaking. He and Muir met at Brisbane, Queens- 

 land, in January, 1910, to complete arrangements, by which it was 

 planned that Kershaw prepare cages at Mossman, North Queensland, 

 for breeding the Tachinids that Muir should collect and send him from 

 New Guinea. Accordingly Muir proceeded to Port Moresby, New 

 Guinea, arid thence inland to the same place where he had previously 

 found the Tachinid. There he collected puparia of the Tachinid and 

 sent to Kershaw, the distance not being too great and the time involved 

 short enough as to allow for their arrival at destination before the time 

 for the emergence of the flies. When the latter emerged they were 

 placed in the cages at Mossman already jjrepared by Kershaw with 

 sugar canes containing numerous borer larvae. 



Muir continued sending puparia until Kershaw had the Tachinids 

 satisfactorily breeding in his cages, when he joined him, and taking 

 fresh puparia from the cages proceeded on to Fiji, where he established 

 another breeding station. When this was successfully started and the 

 Tachinids breeding satisfactorily, Kershaw abandoned the cages in 

 Queensland, taking with him to Fiji more puparia of the Tachinid. 

 On his arrival, Muir came on to Honolulu with a supply of Tachinid 

 puparia, leaving Kershaw in charge of the breeding cages in Fiji, 

 where he remained a few more weeks and then came on to Honolulu 

 with additional supplies of the parasites. 



Mr. Muir arrived in Honolulu with living parasites in August, 

 1910, and Kershaw arrived the following month. A part of the para- 

 sites they brought were liberated in cane fields where there was an 

 abundance of borer larvae in the cane in which they could breed, and 

 part were retained for breeding in cages at the Experiment Station. 

 The breeding in cages was soon going satisfactorily and was continued 

 for two years, colonies of the parasites being liberated on the various 

 sugar plantations as rapidly as they were available. They bred con- 

 tinuously, each generation requiring about six weeks, so that there were 

 about eight generations per year. 



