Vol. IV, \os. 5 and 6.1 INSECT T^IFE. [Issued December, 1891. 



SPECIAL NOTES. 



Mr. Koebele's second Trip to Australia We have not yet mentioned 



in these pages the fact that Mr. I^oebele has been sent ont to 

 Anstralia and Xew Zeahmd a second time on a search for beuclicial 

 insects. The California State Legislatnre hist winter appropriated $5,000 

 for sending- some one to Anstraha for this pnrpose, and this snm was 

 placed at the disposal of the State Board of Horticnltnre. The board 

 soon afterward made ax)plication to the Secretary of Agricnltnre to have 

 Mr. Koebele sent, phicing the entire appropriation at the Secretary's 

 disposal. To this proposition the Secretary assented on condition that 

 Mr. Koebele should go under instructions from the Department, his 

 salary^ as an agent of the Division of Entomology being continued (his 

 expenses only to be paid by the State Board of Horticulture), and that 

 his report should be made to the Department of Agriculture, the desire 

 being to cooperate as far as possible with the Board. Accordingly, 

 such instructions were given as seemed best to promote the object in 

 view, cautioning Mr. Koebele particularly to run no risk, iu his send- 

 ings from Australia, of importing with the benelicial insects any inju- 

 rious species not now existing in the United States wliich it uiight prove 

 disastrous to introduce, and taking advantage of the occasion also to 

 have him make every effort to collect in California certain beneficial 

 species to take with him to Australasia, indicating such species as prey 

 upon cosmopolitan insects or species which the colonies mentioned have 

 derived from America. Mr. Koebele sailed on the August steamer, 

 stopping at Honolulu and Auckland, and arriving at Sydney the latter 

 part of October. At Honolulu he left a number of living specimens of 

 CliUocorus hividnerns in the hands of our correspondent, Mr. A. Jaeger, 

 and seciu'ed while there four species of Lady-birds of which he sent 

 small numbers to California by steamer. These were sent for use 

 against the Black Scale {Lecanium olew). He also found a few i)ar- 

 asitic ChalcididsB on an undetermined Lecanium, and of these he also 

 sent a few specimens. Upon his arrival in New Zealand some of the 

 Lady-birds which he had taken with him were alive and began to 

 feed at once u^jon Woolly Aphis. Some Syri^hus P^lies and Lace- 

 wing Flies were also in good condition, as were also the larva? of 

 the Khaphidia which feeds upon the Codling Moth. These were left in 

 competent charge. Specimens of iScynuius ucceptunj IS. comor, *S'. rillosus, 



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