42 



From Genoa I went direct to Vienna, which was reached on the 9th of 

 April, and where I spent three days, divided between the Natural History 

 Museum and the different branches of the Department of Agriculture. The 

 museum contains many very important economic collections, among which 

 are Signoret's classical collection of Coccidce, and a very large collection of 

 Diptera, containing many of the types from Meigen, Schiner, Loew, and 

 Mik's collection. Here I obtained a great deal of valuable information as to 

 the identification and range of the different species of fruit-flies recorded iru 

 the supplement of this report. Among some interesting groups are Loew's- 

 collection of G aster ophilus, and other stock infesting flies ; quite a number 

 of bot-flies are common in Austria, and the curious Elephant Bot 

 (Cobbollia elephant is) has been bred from the bots of an elephant in the 

 Vienna Zoological Gardens. There are a number of Australian coccids in 

 Signoret's collection, and the types of many curious species ; also a very 

 curious coccid, Tachardia or Lecanium, which is unnamed, is labelled Brisbane, 

 Queensland ; it is as thick as one's little finger, and is on an acacia twig, Under 

 the genus Spondylatpis, which, though a Psyllid, Signoret, from the scanty 

 material in his hands, believed to be a scale insect, is represented by several 

 specimens, with MS. names that were never published : Spondylaspis 

 bancrofti, identical with my species ; Cardiavpis pHcatuloides ; S. cercuf, an 

 undetermined species of Cardiaspi$ ; and S. spinulosa^ which is Cardiaspis 

 artijex, described by Swartz from Austialia. 



Dr. A. Handiirsch showed me over the different departments, where the 

 specimens are very beautifully arranged, and I then went through the 

 Lepidoptera with Professor Rebel, who, besides being custodian of this group, 

 is lecturer on entomology to the students of the Agricultural College. Among 

 some of the most injurious moths in Austria are those that attack the foliage 

 of the forest pine trees. Conthylis ambiguilla is a moth whose Iarva3 in the 

 first brood eat the flowers of the vine, and in the second generation later on 

 damage the immature grapes. Eurycreon sticdcalis is very destructive to 

 the foliage of the sugar beet. 



At the laboratories of the Agricultural Department, where all the different 

 branches are housed, I met the chief of the staff, Dr. F. Dafert, who passed 

 me on to the Chemical Laboratory, where they deal with plant-manures and 

 soils. A charge of 5 krones (4s. 2d.) is charged to farmers for each analysis 

 of soils. At the dairy branch they have charge of the testing of all the 

 samples of milk supplied from the city milk shops, which are sampled every 

 month. The supervision of the dairies frcm which the milk is sent is under 

 the Veterinary Department, who also tf st the cattle foods. The Viticultural 

 Chemist has tests made of all \\ine sold in the city markets, and the depart- 

 ment can prosecute all selling such below standard. 



The Turf or Peat Branch shows the value and uses to which the large 

 deposits of peat in Austria can be put besides fuel ; much of it is used in 

 distilling alcohol, also for bedding for stock. Models of peat slacks and tools 

 for cutting and digging peat are exhibited. 



The Fisheries Branch is another important branch, as much work is done 

 in protecting the abundant supply of fresh-water fish ; and at the Agricul- 

 tural exhibition at the suburb of St. Marx, there were over 300 tanks of live 

 fixh, in many cases showing the development and different stages of their 

 growth. The diseases and food of fishes is also attended to by this branch. 



Dr. Arthur Bretschneider has charge of the laboratories dealing with 

 bacterial and fungus diseases. A number of rabbits were being fed in one 

 room upon American maize that had caused a peculiar disease among the 

 people eating it, .and which was supposed to have been contaminated by mice. 



