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raand, the advisability of endeavoring to introduce the natural enemies 

 which were known to keep it in check in Australia. Certain indige- 

 nous species had been discovered preying upon it in California, and I 

 expressed the belief that, as they increased, the fruit-growers would 

 get more and more relief from the Icerya; but I also urged that there 

 was much more chance of success from those which keep it in check in 

 its native home, and which were not imported with it to the countries 

 of its introduction. The case was exceptional, and the attempt thus 

 urged gave every promise of a rich reward. Efforts were made to 

 introduce some of these natural enemies through correspondence, 

 especially with the late F. S. Crawford, of Adelaide, with what ulti- 

 mate results the subsequent success of Vedalia forever rendered 

 uncertain. 



The Hon. H. H. Markham, present Governor of California, was at 

 that time a Representative in Congress, and through him chiefly, but 

 also through others, I urged upon Congress the desirability of sending 

 some one to Australia to make a thorough study of the subject with a 

 view of introducing those natural enemies. Again, in the winter of 

 18S7- ? 88 appeals were made to Congress, not only of a personal nature, 

 but through memorials from various societies in California, for an appro- 

 priation to send one or two men to Australia to collect and increase 

 these natural enemies. Congress, however, failed to make any specific 

 appropriation, and also failed to remove the restriction in the appro- 

 priation to the Division of Entomology which limited traveling expenses 

 to the United States and prevented independent action of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. It happened, however, that about this time an 

 appropriation was made and a commission created to represent the United 

 States at the Melbourne Exposition, and, with the appreciative aid and 

 sympathy of the Hon. Norman J. Colman, Commissioner of Agriculture, 

 I took active steps to gain the cooperation of the Secretary of State in 

 my pet scheme, and by an arrangement with the Department of State, 

 accepted by the commissioner to said Exposition, Hon. Frank McCoppin, 

 the Department of Agriculture was finally enabled to send to Australia 

 two agents of the Division of Entomology, one of them to be under my 

 instructions, and the expenses of both, within the sum of $2,000, to be 

 paid out of the appropriation for the aforesaid Exposition. 



It was thus that Mr. Albert Koebele, in the fall of 1888, was sent to 

 Australia for this special purpose. The history of Mr. Koebele's efforts 

 has been detailed from time to time in Government publications and in 

 the press, especially that of California. It suffices to state that a num- 

 ber of living enemies, both parasitic and predaceous, were successfully 

 imported, but that one of them, Vedalia cardinalis, proved so effective 

 as to throw the others entirely into the shade and render their services 

 really unnecessary. It has, so far, not been known to prey upon any 

 other insect, and it breeds with surprising rapidity, occupying less than 

 thirty days from the laying of the eggs until the adults again appear. 



