BY T. HARVEY JOHNSTON. 25 
know that this parasite is accomplishing in those parts of 
the State all that was claimed for it*. We stated} that it 
had controlled the growth of O. monacantha in India and 
Ceylon to such an extent as to have practically exterminated 
it, and would no doubt do the same in Queensland ; but 
that it had not attacked, either naturally or under 
experimental conditions, the species (O. dillenii) now 
prevalent in certain parts of those countries{t and would 
not be likely to attack our common pest pear or the Burnett 
prickly pear. That our views were correct, has since 
been proved§. 
It may be of interest to members of this Society to 
know that the wild cochineal insects Coccus indicus, left 
by the Commission whilst in South Africa, have become 
established there and are destroying O. monacantha just 
as they are doing in Queensland, but do not apply themselves 
to the commonest pest pear of the Cape Province.|| 
The introduction of a number of other more or less 
destructive insect enemies of prickly pear was recom- 
mended, but this has not, as yet, been authorised. 
The Commission also considered that exhaustive 
experiments should be carried out to test the value of our 
‘naturalised Opuntias as material for supplementing the 
various stock fodders now in use, which have a higher 
nutritive ratio. 
The Department of Agriculture has initiated tests 
in this direction, the work being under the control of one 
of our members, Mr. F. Smit, B.Sec., of the Agricultural 
Chemist’s Branch. 
* Johnston and Tryon, /.c., 1914, p. 17. 
7 l.c., p. 3, 14, sqq. 
{ Johnston and Tryon, /.c., p. 6, 7, 17. See also abstract from Ann, 
Rep. Director Agric., Ceylon, for 1914, in Tropica] Agriculturist, Ceylon, 
Sept., 1915, and in Q’land Agri. Jour., 4, 1915, p. 323. 
§ Dr. J. White-Haney, /.c., 1913 (1914), p. 73; 1914 (1915), p. 82. 
|| Johnston and Tryon, l.c., p. 34. 
Warren, 8. African Agr. Jour, 7, 1914, pp 387-391; and abstract 
in Review of Applied Entomology, Ser. A., 2, (7), July, 1914, p. 440; 
also later references by Mr. Lounsbury and others. 
