34 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



this natural enemy, one of the Ooccinellidse, has been sent wherever the Orange Scale has 

 been introduced and the effect has been the same as in this country. All of this has been 

 an object lesson in the application of Nature's forces in overcoming the evil results of man's 

 influences in the artificial diffusion of destructive insects. In North America, and also in 

 Australasia, men are at present wrestling with another important pest, allied to the 

 Orange Scale, and introduced into California many years ago, but in this case probably 

 from Japan. I refer again to the San Jose' Scale, Aspidiotus perniciosus, which has, with 

 us, spread over a vast range of country and already caused great losses. From all that 

 I have been able to learn by observation of this pest, both in the orchards of the United 

 States and on nursery stock immediately on its arrival from Japan, and also from the 

 writings of others, it would appear that the natural enemies of this pest have been left 

 in their native homes. Probably, as with the Orange Scale, these are Coccinellids whose 

 habits are such that it would be impossible to get them in connection with their hosts 

 at the time when the trees are packed for shipment to this country, as this is done at 

 the season of the year when these insects have finished their development and abandoned 

 the trees, if not wholly, remaining only in the adult state and would promptly desert the 

 trees on being disturbed. If there had been important internal or fungous enemies we 

 should certainly have gotten these with the ho3t insect long ago. Now, it would certainly 

 seem that in the introduction of Aspidiotus and its suppression we have a problem in 

 applied international entomology, precisely like that presented by Icerya, and it would as 

 certainly appear that, with our past experience, the very course of all others to pursue 

 would be to learn what the natural enemies of this insect are in its native home and then 

 introduce these as promptly and diffusa them as widely as possible, not only in one 

 Btate or province, not in the United States or British America alone, but in North 

 America * It is AmericanB that are suffering from the ravages of this pest, where they 

 are located, geographically or politically, does not matter in the least. International 

 boundary lines cut no figure in this problem whatever, and have no more influence on 

 these natural objects than they have on the winds. We should seek to introduce living 

 organisms from the Palsearctic Life Region into the Nearctic Life Eegion, no matter 

 what or how many nations may lay claim to the territory of either one or both of these 

 regions. What we are really trying to do is to help natural selection to keep pace with 

 artificial selection, and, if we accomplish anything in this direction, it will be by aiding 

 nature and not in any sense by attempting to circumscribe her by imaginary lines of 

 separation which have no existence in fact. 



Now, lest I be misunderstood, let me say that true naturalists can only exist among 

 loyal men and women. We must, all of us, be true to the nation that protects us by its 

 wise and judicious legislation. Science stands for truth and right and honesty, and, for 

 this very reason we must stop whenever and wherever these national lines cease to repre- 

 sent the truth, and be guided by others. In matters political, we must respect political 

 lines, but in dealing with natural phenomena, we must abandon these and be guided by 

 such as have been laid down by the hand of the Creator, who outranks either Queen, 

 President or any other human potentate, Therefore, we must lose sight of national 

 boundary lines and unite upon those laid down by nature. Here, in North America, 

 there should be the closest relations between the United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture and similar Departments of the various Provinces of British America, and absolute 

 unity of action wherever this is possible This quarantining of one State, Province or 

 Nation against another may possibly do in cases of isolation, like New Zealand or Cuba, 

 or as applied to some of the ilia that we already have with us, but this sort of work will 

 never protect in the sense that a combination certainly would, if we were to throw aside 



*Note — Since the above was written I have received the following from the Rev. H. Loomis, of Yoko- 

 hama, Japan, which will be of interest in connection with this paper. "I see in the Canadian Entomolo- 

 gist, for Jwly, an article in which you recommend that some one be sent to Japan to make a study of the 

 enemies of the San Jose Scale. I think it a most excellent suggestion. There are many varieties of Lady 

 Beetles here, and I am quite sure that it is due to them that the Scale is not more injurious in Japan. I 

 am strengthened in this opinion because the Gypsy Moth is found all over Japan, and yet it is not 

 especially harmful. This is entirely due to a parat-ite that feeds upon the larvae so universally as to pre- 

 Tent its rapid increase. I have watched the results with great interest and would recommend that both 

 insects be made a matter of careful study." 



