88 AUSTRALIAN BUG. 



partly effectual, many of the enclosed young escaping 

 the pressure unhurt."* 



Mr. S. D. Bairstow also draws attention to the benefit 

 of destroying the female, and the ease with which the 

 young may be shaken from the trees. 



As these young Bugs are so active and fall off so readily 

 it would appear very desirable, where boughs have been 

 lopped or infested trees felled, that these boughs or trees 

 should be burnt (or charred on the surface) at once, and 

 on the spot, or else, as is pointed out in the Eeport of the 

 Inspector of Fruit Trees in California, published in the 

 year 1887, the removal of the boughs may in itself be 

 a means of spreading the pest. 



Tarred bands, or bands of any sticky composition, 

 smeared round the lower part of the stems of fruit or 

 timber trees, would effectually stop traffic of the " Bug" 

 up the trunks so long as the bands remained moist and 

 sticky ; but, if the thing be possible, some more secure 

 method of gathering the fallen, active, young Bugs, or 

 preventing their ranging off to some of the low-growing 

 plants near, than what has been named seems needed. 



In U. S. A. practice the plan of beating injurious 

 insects down on to cloths treated with some fluid or 

 mixture which will temporarily paralyse the grubs or 

 insects as they fall on to it, or possibly kill them out- 

 right, has been recommended, and in the present case it 

 appears quite admisssible that the cloths recommended 

 to be placed under the trees to be beaten should be so 

 prepared beforehand. There are many mixtures of 

 petroleum or other mineral oils which would probably 

 answer the purposes. The fact of the oil soon separating 

 from water would not matter in this case, and the cloths 

 might be dipped in a mere mixture of the petroleum and 

 water, and used wet, or they might be drenched over 

 (when laid down) with soft-soap and petroleum wash, 

 which would presumably prevent any of these little 

 creatures straying away ; or a good swilling on to the 



* ' Report on Australian Bug,' by Prof. R. Trimen, previously quoted. 



