586 



were it not for the beneficial forms, there would be very little, if 

 any, vegetation left growing in this or any other Australian State, 

 as there are thousands of indigenous species of insects which are 

 held in complete subjection by other insects, and are unnoticed. 

 It is only when an insect becomes a pest that any attention is 

 given it, and it will be found that all pests are imported forms. 



Orcus Australasia, Boisd. 



Ch'domenes quadripustulniu*, Muls. 



It often happens that imported forms are subject to the attacks of 

 indigenous forms, which accomplish a great deal in checking their 

 spread, and the illustrations here shown, with one exception (Leis 

 conformis}, are indigenous species, and should be protected. 



Leis conformis, Boisd. 



Rhizobius debilis, Blkb. 



Australasias (lai'va). 



These useful insects are themselves, in turn, attacked by 

 parasites and predaceous ones, so that they do not accomplish as 

 much in checking the spread of imported pests as they would 

 otherwise do. 



BlastopTiaga qrossorum. It has been well demonstrated that 

 without the aid of these little insects we cannot successfully produce 

 the Smyrna fig of commerce. 



Any one cutting open a fig when it has attained about one- 

 third its size, will see the flowers in full development, but unlike 

 those of most fruit trees, they make no outward appearance, but 

 are concealed within the fig on its internal surface. They are male 

 and female the former situated near the orifice, the latter in that 



