106 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS OF VICTORIA: 



The insects, figured as being on the stems of the cherries 

 (see Plate XII., Fig. 1), are only slightly smaller than 

 the natural size ; and the black perforations, or holes, are 

 intended to show where the fruit has been attacked and 

 pierced. 



Between three and four years ago, the rich Goulburn 

 Valley and other North -Eastern districts, were visited by 

 what the growers themselves took to be a small fly, which 

 indiscriminately attacked many kinds of fruit, and a 

 number of vegetables ; but from the information which I 

 could gather, I find that the number of these little insects 

 was at first comparatively few, and could be dispersed by 

 causing a smoke by burning cow dung, green leaves, &c. 



Late in 1889, and up to the first three months in 1890, 

 this terrible pest again made its appearance, and in such 

 vast numbers as to cause considerable apprehension to 

 vignerons, orchardists, farmers, and others. This some- 

 what sudden inroad of so formidable an enemy, caused 

 the good people to wonder what was going to happen 

 next, and being in this dilemma, applied for the services 

 of the Government Entomologist to assist them with his 

 advice, and to provide if possible some remedy ; and the 

 matter being a very urgent one, Mr. Knight, fruit expert, 

 was sent up to Rutherglen for the purpose of trying 

 several supposed remedies, which in our innocence, we 

 thought would banish the "Fly," bag and baggage, but in 

 this, however, we were grievously disappointed, until at 

 length, after trying such material as one might reasonably 

 suppose would be fatal to such minute soft-bodied insects, 

 I was asked to visit the district, and, if possible, to do 

 something more than had already been done, to combat 

 them. In accordance with the wishes of the growers, I 

 proceeded to the Goulburn Valley, Rutherglen, and other 

 places in the North-Eastern districts, and here I found 

 the pest more numerous, and the extent of damage done 

 by it more serious, than I could possibly have anticipated, 

 acre after acre of grape-vines, with the fruit fast ripening, 

 were literally covered with these tiny Wood Bugs, which 

 by introducing their rostrums, or beaks (see Plate XII., 



