253 



KoTiNSKY (J.). The European Fir Trunk Bark Louse {Chermes 

 (Dreyfusia) piceae, Ratz.) apparently long established in the United 

 States. — Proc. Entom. Soc. Washington, Washington, D.C., srv'iii, 

 no. 1, March 1916, pp. 14-16. 



Chennes piceae has caused the death of considerable numbers of 

 balsam firs in New Haven during the past three years. Records of 

 injury by this insect show that it has been in the coimtry for at least 

 seven years. In Europe both C. piceae and C. nilsslini are practically 

 confined to firs and are presumed to have an alternate host. The 

 former species hibernates on the bark as the larval stem-mother. 

 Activity is resumed in spring, maturity being reached in April, when 

 oviposition takes place. The eggs hatched during May develop into 

 summer stem-mother or winter stem-mother lar^'ae which settle on the 

 old bark, the latter forms not completing growth until the following 

 spring. The former reach maturity between May and July and deposit 

 a small number of eggs, which develop into winter stem-mother larvae. 

 Part of the summer larvae become winged migrants which fly during 

 May or June to Picea excelsa. They there lay eggs which become 

 sexual forms. In America, only the winter lar^'a has been observ'ed. 

 It is possible that the death of many fir trees in Europe may have been 

 partly due to C. nihslini, since the records were made before the 

 distinction between the two species was recognised. 



Proclamation concerning the Importation of Plants into Australia. — 



Extract from Commomvealth of Australia Gaz., Melbourne, 

 no. 158, 23rd December 1915. [Received 1st May 1916. J 



The introduction into Austraha of the following plants is forbidden, 

 unless certified by the Chief Quarantine Officer to be free from insect 

 or fungus pests : — (1) All plants, including fruit and seed (other than 

 manufactured products), liable to infestation by Hemileia vastatrix, 

 from Ceylon, India, China, Malay Peninsula, etc. ; (2) sugar-cane and 

 banana plants, exclusive of the fruit of the latter, grown in New 

 Guinea, Sandwich Islands, Fiji, etc., where they may be attacked by 

 Sphenophorus sp. 



French, Junr. (C). An insect pest of lucerne: Cockchafer grufcs 

 {Heteronyx piceus, Blanch.).- — .//. Dept. Agric. Victoria, Melbourne, 

 xiii, no. 9, 10th September 1915, pp. 567-569, 2 figs. [Received 

 1st May 1916.] 



Lucerne-growers at Werribee have suffered considerable losses from 

 the attacks of the grubs of H. piceus, which live on the roots of 

 native and other grasses and seem to confine themselves to particular 

 patches of the soil, usually where manure has been rather plentifully 

 used. The exceptionally dry season in 1915 favoured this pest ; in 

 ver\" wet seasons many of the grubs are destroyed ty a fungus disease. 

 When a lucerne crop is badly affected, it is advisable to have it cross- 

 scarified, if practicable, harrowed and then rolled. These methods 

 gave very satisfactory results at Werribee. Keeping the ground 

 continually worked is absolutely necessary, as it exposes the grubs to 

 the attacks of birds, of which the most useful are seagulls, robins. 



