302 Transactions. — Zoology. 



and it appears that the Agricultural Department of Western 

 Australia came to the conclusion that the interests of fruit- 

 culture in that country demanded stringent measures. There- 

 fore they prohibited, if not entirely, at least to a large extent, 

 the importation of these fruits. In consequence, the price of 

 oranges and lemons rose considerably, and as the climate is 

 hot, and the goldfields population thirsty, there was some little 

 trouble. A newspaper of Perth, the Morning Herald, sent a 

 representative to interview a principal fruit merchant of that 

 city, and to obtain from him his views on the matter. To the 

 question, " What is your opinion regarding the regulations of 

 the Bureau of Agriculture with reference to the importation of 

 fruit ? " the merchant, a Mr. Harris, gave the following reply : 

 " Speaking from a common-sense point of view, I think them 

 harassing and unnecessary. The authorities maintain that 

 the regulations are made to protect the colony from the intro- 

 duction of scale. In common with many other close observers, 

 I believe that scale is no disease at all, but that it is produced 

 by the dripping of moisture from the leaf on to the rind of the 

 fruit. Crystallization is produced, and then animalculse. 

 Although unsightly, these do not affect the development 

 or the flavour of the fruit, and when it is peeled the insect 

 life ends." This almost inconceivable rubbish is printed by the 

 newsj)aper in large type, and seemingly without any comment, 

 and the intelligent reporter appears to have been perfectly satis- 

 lied that " close observers," who must of course be competent, 

 believe fully in the generative powers of " crystallized dew " ! 

 Mr. Harris's views were naturally tinged by considerations of 

 interest ; but it is scarcely satisfactory that nonsense of the 

 sort should be promulgated by the public Press. It will not 

 in the least surprise me if some day we see in our owm news- 

 papers a paragraph stating that scale is now discovered to be 

 no insect at all, but a product of the crystallization of water ; 

 and many people who dislike restrictive regulations which 

 interfere with them will eagerly accept this view as another 

 argument against scientific knowledge or authority. 



Genus Mytilaspis. 

 Mytilaspis maideni, sp. nov. Plate XIX., figs. 1-3. 



Puparium of female reddish-brown, usually straight, some- 

 times very slightly curved ; convex, elongated, very slightly 

 widened posteriorly. Only one reddish-brown pellicle is 

 visible at the extremity, the second pellicle being covered 

 with secretion ; but this second pellicle is small, not 

 extending more than one-third of the length of the puparium, 

 and it is also smaller than the adult female. The puparium 

 is marked by conspicuous and deep transverse corrugations 



