362 



toward the destruction of insect pests, and ifthej^ can devise more effi- 

 cient meaus of ti^liting tliese insects, they will, in all probability, be in 

 better shape to cope with the Codlin Moth and other lilce enemies of 

 the products of their orchards and fields, than we are liere in the United 

 States. From what I saw in Tasmania, I am quite confident that there 

 are at least two broods of the Codlin Moth in that colony. 



The American Blight, as the Schizoneura lanigera is commonly termed 

 throughout the colonies, seems to be much more troublesome than with us. 

 Not only nursery stock, but also trees which have been transplanted and 

 fruited for mauy j^ears, are alike subject to attack. Not only are the roots 

 attacked, as with us, but trunks and branches suffer also. The insect 

 seems to have an especial liking for tlie scars on old trees that have been 

 left by the i)runing of large branches. Australian nurserymen claim that 

 varieties of apples,- worked on stocks of tbe Northern Spy and Majentin 

 varieties,will be proof againstthisblightifthegraftingis done uineinches 

 to a foot above ground. Tlie pest is devoured in immense numbers by an 

 exceedingly valuable little yelhiw and black Coccinellid,* great numbers 

 of which were sent home by Mr. Koebele, my own share in the matter 

 being to reach the locality where they were the most numerous, after they 

 had disappeared. However, I found the same Coccinellid in Tasmania, 

 where it was engaged in devouring the Apliids infesting the heads of 

 carrots, which were being grown for the j)urpose of producing seed. 

 Another smaller but similarly colored species of Coccinellid, but with 

 two transverse zigzag black bands across its yellow elytra, the anterior 

 one being sometimes continuous, but usually interrupted, was also ob- 

 served likewise engaged. This Aphid, which was exceedingly abun- 

 dant in the garden of Mr. Keen, of Kingston, near Ilobart, did not ap- 

 pear to affect any other portion of the carrot, except the seed heads, and 

 these were literally alive with them. It is a species of Rlwpalosiphum. 



The only other Aphid observed in conspicuous numbers was Aphis 

 mdidis, which was swarming on the sorghum plants growing on the farm 

 of the Agricultural College of South Australia. At the time of my 

 visit, February 9, the winged adults and earlier stages were ensconced 

 among the young folded leaves of the sorghum plants, precisely after 

 the manner of our Corn Aphis with us, at a corresponding season. 

 Professor Lourie, principal of the college, informed me that the insects 

 were sometimes so abundant on the plant as to render it obnoxious to 

 stock, thereby unfitting it for green fodder. 



During my visit to the above institution. Professor Lourie also called 

 my attention to one of his fields of grass land, the surface of which in 

 many places was now as bare as the floor of his office so far as growing- 

 grass is concerned. The ground was thickly jiunctured with small, 

 round holes, and on digging in the vicinity of these we found myriads 

 of small vertical cells, several inches in depth. The major part of 

 these cells were lined with a thin silky web, within each of which we 



* Leia conformia Boisd. 



