White-Haney (J.). Report of the Officer in Charge of the Prickly- 

 Pear Experimental Station, Dulacca, from 1st May 1914 to 

 30th April 1915. Brisbane, 1915, 49 pp., 30 figs. 



In this report, the destruction of prickly-pear through the agency 

 of insects is considered. Dactylopins (Coccus) indicus, Green, from 

 Ceylon, and D. (C.) confusus, Ckll., from South Africa, reproduced well 

 on small plants of Opuntia monacantha. In no instance did any of 

 the small 0. monacantha plants show signs of sprouting subsequent to 

 their being attacked by the insects ; presumably their destruction 

 was therefore complete. In May 1914, a visit was made to North 

 Queensland for the purpose of ascertaining the amount of damage 

 which the wild cochineal insects of Ceylon would be capable of inflicting 

 on the large plants of 0. monacantha. These investigations are still 

 in progress. Experiments on the propagation of wild cochineal insects 

 on the different species of prickly-pears occurring in Queenslan,d, have 

 up to the present always ended in failure, and the present situation 

 indicates that there is no possibility of acclimatising the insects or of 

 inducing them to multiply on and ultimately destroy the Dulacca 

 prickly pear. The cochineal insects appear incapable of subsisting 

 on plants other than 0. monacantha. 



Zur Bekampfung des Frostspanners. [On combating Cheimatohia 

 brumata.] — Schweiz Zeitschr. Obst- u. Weinbau, Frauenfeld, xxiv, 

 no. 22, 26th November 1915, p. 350. 



In the Swiss canton of Aargau the supply of adhesives proved 

 inadequate for banding against Cheimatobia brumata. The following 

 reliable formulae are given : Burgundy resin, 1 lb. ; common turpen- 

 tine, I lb. ; linseed oil, | lb. ; crude olive oil, | lb. Mixing is effected 

 over a slow fire and when the mass has cooled it is spread on paper. 

 The second formula contains 13 oz. of cartgrease, 13 oz. of fish oil and 

 32 oz. of coarse-grained lesin. The grease is heated until the 

 water is driven out, a container of at least 4 quarts capacity being used, 

 as the grease rises considerably. The fish-oil is then added, the mass 

 put back on the fire and the lesin is stirred in until it melts. 

 The mixture is then set to cool and may be spread on paper the next 

 dav. 



Harrison (J. W. H.). The Psyllidae of the C\eve\dinds.~NaturaUst, 

 London, no. 707, December 1915, pp. 400-401. 



The following species of Psyllidae are recorded : — Aphalara 

 calthae, L., on larch and spruce ; Psyllopsis fraxinicola, Forst., on ash ; 

 P. fraxini, L., on ash ; Psylla jnjricola, Forst., on mountain ash ; 

 P. hartigi, Flor, on birch ; P. pineti, Flor, on conifers ; P. melano- 

 neti.ra, Forst., on hawthorn, oak, conifers, etc. ; P. costalis, Flor, on 

 blackthorn, hawthorn, mountain ash, oak ; P. peregrina, Forst., on 

 hawthorn; P. malt, Schm., on crab-apple; P. aim, L., on alder; 

 P. forsteri, Flor, on alder and birch; P. buxi, L., on box; P. spartii, 

 Guer., and Arytaena genistae, Lat., on broom ; and Trioza urticae, L., 

 on elm and hawthorn. 



