16 
stock. For this purpose, the Northern Spy of our continent is consid- 
ered the best; next comes the Majetin, as Mr. Will, of Auckland, in- 
formed me. The Irish peach was standing completely free of Aphis 
between badly infested trees. A large number of blight-proof trees 
are sold by nurserymen in Australia and New Zealand, and only such 
are planted in these countries as far as the roots are concerned. Mr. 
Will said that the Northern Spy will produce the best roots; on this is 
grafted the Majetin as the stem, and any desired 
variety may be selected for the upper part or 
branches. At this place I observed a small 
black and lemon-yellow lady-bird (Fig. 7) feeding 
upon the Woolly-Aphis; the same was also ob- 
served at Toowoomba, Queensland, under similar 
circumstances.* I did not meet with it outside of 
these places. No Icerya could_be found on the 
orange trees, but the same day, two young spec- 
Fic. 7.—Leis conformis, found imens were found in the woods, about 2 miles 
feeding on Woolly Aphis— ; ‘ 
enlarged (original). distant, one of them on a pea-vine and the 
second on aspecies of Salix, both near the ground. 
November 5 I visited Mr. Joseph Purser at Castle Hil, to the west 
of Sydney, also a prominent fruit-grower. No Icerya were found on the 
numerous orange trees at this place. Mr. Purser reports having met 
with an occasional specimen only on his orange trees, never more than 
half adozen. A short distance from the orchard I noticed a small pond 
on the edge of which were growing a few small bushes of Acacia. On 
examination I found two large Iceryas with egg sacs and several empty 
skins of scales. Mr. Purser informed me that in former years be has 
often seen the scales upon trees growing along river banks. During this 
same day, while searching through the bush, I found upon the needle- 
bush Hakia acicularis, growing amongst numerous Acacia longifolia, a 
well developed Icerya fastened to the main stem. A careful search 
was made on all the plants growing there, yet with the exception of a 
peculiar Coelostoma upon Acacia, no scales could be found. One speci- 
men of Icerya was found on this Acacia at the botanical gardens in 
Adelaide. Mr. Purser, who is also much troubled with the Mytilaspis 
mentioned, used as a remedy kerosene-tar, 1 pint; soft-soap, 3 pounds; 
sulphur, 5 pounds. These are boiled in 10 gallons of water and the 
trees washed with this mixture with a paint-brush, only the trunk and 
larger limbs being treated. The gentleman claims that all the scales 
on trees so treated will be killed and the trees will remain free from 
scales from seven to nine years. 
I returned to Adelaide on November 8, as I considered that the best 
field to obtain the material. On the 15th a trip was made about 300 
miles north of Adelaide, but I found nothing of interest in the insect 
line on this journey, with the exception along the road of large num- 
*This species is Leis conformis Boisd., according to Dr. Sharp, to whom we sent 
specimens. 
