70 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS OF VICTORIA: 



Inspector Farrell, of my staff, says : ' The young 

 shoots only are attacked ; and, from his experience, 

 " the mischief is done by five or six bugs working on 

 the shoot at the one time, the shoot being usually attacked 

 at the part where it has hardened its wood to the top ; 

 sucking out the juices, the bugs cause the part affected 

 to wither and die. The tree then throws out other 

 shoots, which are in their turn located and destroyed. 



' ' The young and old usually feed together, and when 

 disturbed, the latter usually fly away, while the former 

 hide among the leaves; but, if further interfered with, 

 they drop to the ground and hide among the debris, &c. 

 They always seem to confine their attention to the more 

 tender part of the tree, as they do not seem to be able to break 

 down the hard tissue of older and more matured wood." 



This order of insects has been fairly worked up by 

 specialists, and according to Mr. Froggatt, 1500 species, 

 in 29 families, have already been recorded and described 

 in works which have hitherto been mostly seen only by 

 entomologists. 



The eggs of this species are mostly deposited upon the 

 food plants, although, as in the case of these wood or 

 plant bugs, the eggs may be deposited in debris, on old 

 fences, &c. ; and in other species, such as Dindymus, 

 Nysius, Oxycarenus, &c., these disgusting insects 

 appear in hundreds of thousands, and work great havoc 

 upon grapes, apricots, peaches, and other soft fruits, 

 and, as they are in such enormous numbers, they are 

 extremely difficult to successfully deal with. 



In America the well known c ' Chinch ' ' bug, as an 

 example, has for years defied all attempts to get rid of 

 it permanently. Commissions have been formed, and 

 the subject dealt with in such a manner as only our 

 American friends can deal with them. 



It is unfortunate that, owing to their disgusting odour, 

 few, if any, of our insect-destroying birds will tackle 

 them, and it so happens that a practical natural check 

 in this direction is not, so far, in evidence. 



