INTRODUCTION. 
The following report by Mr. Albert Koebele, one of the California 
agents of the Division of Entomology, gives an account of his trip to 
Australia, made during the late summer and fall of 1888 and the winter 
of 188889, under instructions from this Department, for the purpose 
of investigating the Australian natural enemies of the Fluted Scale 
(Icerya purchasi Maskell) with a view to introducing the most efficient 
of them into California. 
Failing to secure a specific appropriation from Congress for this pur- 
pose, although assisted in the attempt by the California delegation, 
and particularly by the Hon. 0. M. Felton, and failing also to secure 
the removal of the clause restricting travel to the limits of the United 
States, we were led to accomplish the result through the kindness of 
the Department of State, in connection with the Melbourne Exposition, 
an arrangement having been made whereby two of the salaried agents 
of the Division should be temporarily attached to the Commission, 
their expenses, outside the United States, to be defrayed by the Com- 
mission, within the sum of $2,000. The warm thanks of this Depart- 
ment are due to the Department of State for this codperation, and par- 
ticularly to the Hon. Frank McCoppin, commissioner-general to the 
Exposition, to whom the matter was submitted by the State Department 
for approval. Mr. McCoppin at once accepted the proposition, and 
upon Mr. Koebele’s arrival in Australia helped him in every way possi- 
ble to make the experiment successful. 
Mr. Koebele was sent, as just stated, for the specific purpose of study- 
ing and importing the natural enemies of the Fluted Scale, while the 
other agent, Mr. F. M. Webster, was sent to make a special report to 
the Commission on the agricultural features of the Exposition. Mr. 
Webster’s report has been sent to the Commission, and was formally 
submitted to Mr. McCoppin. A copy of the present report, although 
purely entomological, and having little relation tothe Exposition proper, 
has also been transmitted to Mr. McCoppin,,as the results of the mis- 
sion are, and ever will be, connected with his exposition work. 
-While a number of other entomological matters are referred to in the 
report, Mr. Koebele never lost sight of the main object of his mission. 
How successful it has proved late reports already published in INSECT 
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