23 
tion into New Zealand the scale insect had been brought in 
alone. The same thing, he argued, had occurred in the case 
of the introduction into the United States. He therefore, in 
his annual report for 1886, recommended that an effort be 
made to study the natural enemies of the scale in Australia 
and to introduce them into California; and the same year the 
leading fruit growers of California in convention assembled 
petitioned Congress to make appropriations for the Department 
of Agriculture to undertake this work. In February, 1887, 
the Department of Agriculture received specimens of an Aus- 
tralian parasite of Icerya from the late Frazier S. Crawford, 
of Adelaide, South Australia. It was a dipterous insect known 
as Lestophonus iceryae Will., and for some time it was con- 
sidered, both by Professor Riley and his correspondents and 
agents, that the importation of this particular parasite offered 
the best chances for good results. 
Neither the recommendations of Professor Riley nor of the 
then commissioner of agriculture, Hon. Norman J. Colman, 
nor the petitions of the California horticulturists gained the 
needed congressional appropriations, and, since there appeared 
at that time annually in the bills appropriating to the ento- 
mological service of the Department of Agriculture a clause 
preventing travel in foreign parts, it became necessary to gain 
the fund for the expense of the trip to Australia from some 
other source. A movement was started in California to raise 
these funds by private subscription, but it was never carried 
through. In an address given by Professor Riley before the 
California State Board of Horticulture at Riverside, Cal., in 
1887, he repeated his recommendations. During the summer 
of 1887 he was absent in Europe, and the senior author, who 
was at that time the first assistant entomologist of the depart- 
ment, by correspondence secured from Mr. Crawford numerous 
specimens of Jcerya infested by the Lestophonus above men- 
tioned. During the winter of 1887-88 preparations were being 
made for an exhibit of the United States at the Melbourne 
Exposition, to be held during 1888, and Professor Riley, after 
interviewing the Secretary of State, who had charge of the 
funds appropriated for the. Exposition, was enabled to send an 
assistant, Mr. Albert Koebele, to Australia at the expense of 
