Marcu 8, 1901.] 
matter ; each claiming that the other is 
the native home of the pest. With this 
generous rivalry in mind, and with the 
further thought of the desirability of find- 
ing an effective natural enemy of the San 
Jose scale, Mr. Shinkai I. Kuwana, Assist- 
ant in Entomology at Stanford University, 
spent all last summer in Japan collect- 
ing and studying in the field the Japanese 
scale insects (the first attempt at a system- 
atic investigation of the Japanese Cocci- 
de), paying special attention to the San 
Jose scale. Mr. Kuwana’s collections are 
large, and his notes many, and inter- 
esting. His familiarity with the language, 
the customs and the geography of Japan 
gave him special advantages in the work.* 
He visited all the large islands of the em- 
pire, penetrating into the interior among 
the mountains, as well as examining the 
coast line orchards. He was greatly aided 
by Japanese naturalists and fruit growers, 
and altogether was able to make an ex- 
tended reconnaissance. 
As a result of this exploration it is cer- 
tain that the San Jose scale is widely and 
commonly distributed over the whole em- 
pire of Japan (excepting on the island 
Shikoku), though in but few places is it a 
serious pest. It is found on the following 
hosts: Pear, apple, plum, peach, Japanese 
quince, currant, willow (Salix gracilistyla), 
and Paeonia montana. It is found especially 
common in young orchards where its chief 
injuries are done. It is present in certain 
of the very old interior orchards, where it 
has been known, under the name Ki-Abura, 
for more than thirty years. It is attacked 
by several enemies, Mr. Kuwana personally 
finding one chalcid, three lady-bird beetles. 
and one moth, the larva of which feeds on 
the scale. Of these enemies the chalcid 
fly and one of the lady-bird beetles are 
* Mr. Kuwana’s own detailed report of his investi- 
gation can not be ready for publication for several 
months. 
SCIENCE. 
385 
everywhere common, and are effective 
checks to the increase of the scale. It is 
probable that the comparatively little in- 
jury produced by the scale in Japan, wide- 
spread as it is,is due to the presence of 
these natural enemies. The artificial rem- 
edies used in Japan against the scale in- 
clude ‘soap water,’ solution of caustic 
soda, and kerosene. The soda solution 
(one pound caustic soda to 10 gallons of 
water) is applied with cloths and the trees 
then washed with pure water. The other 
insecticides are applied with a Japanese 
paint brush. After a rain the fruit grow- 
ers go into the orchards with ropes or cloths 
and rub off the scales while wet. 
Variation among individuals of the scale 
is apparent but not considerable. The 
scales are uniformly dark, either black or 
dark brown. ‘The white secretion cover- 
ing the exuvice of the males is compara- 
tively scant, in some cases almost wanting. 
The chitinous processes on the posterior 
margin of the abdomen of the female vary 
somewhat, but the relative size and ar- 
rangement remain fairly constant. There 
may be as much difference, indeed, between 
the processes of the two sides (lateral 
halves) of this margin as between the proc- 
esses of two individuals. 
Mr. Kuwana’s observations point strongly 
to the Japanese nativity of the scale, or at 
least to its inhabitancy of Japan prior to its 
brilliant career in North America. It must 
be noted, however, that the scale was not 
found strictly ‘wild’ in Japan; that is, 
it was not found on any wild (unculti- 
vated) tree in its natural habitat. The 
willow trees found infested with scales were 
in the ground of the Government Forestry 
Station at Nishigawara. The scale was, 
indeed, found on mountain (or wild) pear 
trees, but these trees were in or near an old 
apple orchard. 
Vernon L. KELLoeae. 
STANFORD UNIVERSITY, CAL. 
