Masterpieces of Science 



was thought to be the needed insect for the 

 dry California regions. With the help of Mr. 

 C. P. Lounsbury, the Government entomologist 

 of Cape Colony, living specimens of this fly 

 were brought to this country, and were colonized 

 in the Santa Clara Valley, near San Jose, Cali- 

 fornia, where they have perpetuated them- 

 selves and destroyed many of the black scales, 

 and promise to be most successful in their 

 warfare against the injurious insect. 



This same Scutellista parasite had, curiously 

 enough, been previously introduced in an acci- 

 dental manner into Italy, probably from India, 

 and probably in scale-insects living on orna- 

 mental plants brought from India. But in 

 Italy it lives commonly in another scale insect, 

 and with the assistance of the learned Italian, 

 Professor Antonio Berlese, the writer made an un- 

 successful attempt to introduce and establish it a 

 year earlier in som of our Southern States, where 

 it was hoped it would destroy certain injurious 

 insects known as "wax scales." 



In the meantime the United States, not con- 

 tent with keeping all the good things to herself, 

 has spread the first ladybird imported — the 

 Vedalia — to other countries. Four years ago 

 the white scale was present in enormous num- 

 bers in orange groves on the left bank of the 

 river Tagus, in Portugal, and threatened to wipe 

 out the orange-growing industry in that country. 

 The California people, in pursuance of a far- 

 sighted policy, had with great difficulty, owing 

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