October 13, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



467 



the position lie set forth in his first edition, 

 he is prepared to see his argument become 

 old-fashioned (hinfallig), with advance in 

 sociological knowledge. 



The author has lost none of his old-time 

 vigor of expression, nor of his opposition to 

 the ' organic theory.' He takes occasion to 

 give this latter some hard blows, even though 

 his conclusion is, " Diese ' Methode ' ist ein 

 fiir allemal abgetan," page 170. 



J. Q. Dealey. 



Beown University, 

 September 12, 1905. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 

 BREEDING BENEFICIAL INSECTS. 



Harper s Monthly Magazine is a journal of 

 such high standing and is as a rule so clean 

 and so accurate that anything published in its 

 pages, aside from ostensible fiction, is received 

 by a very large reading public as bearing the 

 stamp of absolute accuracy. It, therefore, 

 becomes necessary whenever an inaccurate 

 statement is published in its pages, and par- 

 ticularly when by such a statement a keen 

 injustice is done to an institution or to an 

 individual, to publish in some way and as 

 speedily as possible an emphatic rejoinder 

 and correction. I, therefore, wish to call at- 

 tention to the article by H. A. Crafts in the 

 October number of Harper's Magazine, pages 

 7Y8 to 782, which bears the title of this pres- 

 ent communication. The article refers to the 

 excellent work which has been done in Cali- 

 fornia in the breeding of beneficial insects, 

 and more especially to the admirable quaran- 

 tine carried on by that state against the pos- 

 sible importation of new insect pests. To 

 these features of the article no Exception can 

 be taken, but there is another and important 

 matter which must be corrected. 



Mr. Crafts writes: 



Mr. Craw [Alexander Craw, late Horticultural 

 Quarantine Officer of California] advised that 

 search be made in foreign countries for the para- 

 site that would destroy the '"cottony cushion- 

 scale.' At that time the state had enacted no 

 horticultural laws, and there were no public funds 

 available for the prosecution of the search sug- 

 gested by Mr. Craw. But to remedy this defect 



private funds were raised, and Professor Albert 

 Koebele, an attache of the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, was commissioned to make 

 the quest. 



Professor Koebele in the course of his travels 

 went to Australia, where he found a grub feeding 

 upon the cottony cushion-scale. He took the 

 grub and developed it to its condition of maturity, 

 and found that it grew into a small beetle known 

 as a ' ladybird.' At the same time the professor 

 made a second discovery, and that was that a 

 secondary parasite was preying upon the ' lady- 

 bird.' 



Knowing that it would be fatal to the project 

 to send the ladybird and its parasite to California 

 together, he set about propagating a colony of the 

 little beetles in close confinement. He accordingly 

 had glass-houses built over two small orange- 

 trees in an orchard that was infested with the 

 cottony cushion-scale, and beneath these he bred 

 up some strong colonies of the ladybirds and sent 

 them to Mr. Craw. 



Upon their arrival in California the process of 

 propagation was continued and a large number 

 of the bugs raised. * * * 



The insects thus raised by Mr. Craw were sent 

 out in "small colonies all over the state wherever 

 there was an orange or lemon orchard affected by 

 the cottony cushion-scale and turned loose in the 

 trees. The result Avas the speedy cleaning up of 

 the pest, and it has remained in subjection ever 

 since. And thus the great citrus-fruit industry 

 of California was saved. 



In these statements Mr. Crafts has done a 

 great injustice to the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, and to the late C. V. 

 Eiley, at that time (1888-90) chief entomolo- 

 gist of the department. The facts briefly are 

 these. Prior to the Australian expedition of 

 Mr. Koebele, Professor Eiley was in Cali- 

 fornia. He attended, with Mr. Craw, a large 

 horticultural meeting, and the subject of send- 

 ing abroad for parasites was broached at this 

 meeting. It is quite possible that Professor 

 Eiley got the original idea from Mr. Craw. 

 Here, however, Mr. Craw's connection with 

 the introduction ceases; nor do I think Mr. 

 Craw has ever made any personal claim which 

 would in any further way substantiate the 

 statements made by Mr. Crafts, just quoted. 

 Professor Riley returned to Washington, cor- 

 responded with entomologists in Australia, 



