312 FLASHLIGHTS ON NATURE 



may often find on the rind of certain imported 

 oranges. But an enemy to the scale-insect was 

 discovered in Australia an enemy to the scale- 

 insect, and therefore an ally of the harassed orange- 

 grower. It was a particular kind of ladybird, 

 which devours in its larval stage whole tribes of 

 the scale-insects. That wonderful entomologist, 

 Professor Riley, whose services were worth many 

 millions of pounds to the American farmers, got 

 wind betimes of this new destroyer, and imported 

 a few specimens, actually sending a skilled agent 

 to Australia to collect them. The precious little 

 creatures were housed at once in a muslin tent, 

 covering a scale-infested orange tree ; and there, 

 rising to a sense of the duty imposed upon them, 

 they laid their eggs on the leaves with commend- 

 able promptitude. The larvae soon hatched out, 

 and began feeding upon the scale-insects; and in 

 an incredibly short time there were beetles enough 

 on that single tree to distribute by boxfuls among 

 the distressed agriculturists. The result was that 

 before very long the scale-insect became a rare 

 specimen in California. But that was in the 

 United States ; English folk are too " practical " 

 to take any notice of those theoretical men of 

 science. They put their hands in their pockets 

 and let their crops get destroyed in the good old 

 " practical " way ; then they shake their heads and 

 observe with a smile that " there are great diffi- 

 culties " in the way of doing anything. 



OF THE 



UNIVERSITY 



OF 



