l62 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



the past half-century,i his capacity as agent, and his 

 connection with t'he sale-rooms, added to his love for 

 natural history, brought Samuel Stevens in touch with 

 most of the leading British naturalists of the nineteenth 

 century. Of these he retained many pleasant re- 

 miniscences. It was only recently that he discussed 

 with the writer of this notice the propriety of pub- 

 lishing his memoirs, but this, like so many other 

 mundane things, was delayed too long. 



We are indebted to Mr. Henry Stevens, the chief 

 of the present firm in King Street, for the accompany- 



ing photographic likeness. It was jokingly taken by 

 the artist with his subject standing behind an empty 

 frame, but it is exceedingly life-like and characteristic. 

 It may be mentioned, in connection with the artistic 

 tendency of the Stevens' family, that Mr. Henry's 

 reputation as an amateur photographer is world-wide, 

 and much of his work has never been surpassed by 

 the most skilled professional artist. It is doubtless 

 well-known to our readers, as he is a constant 

 .exhibitor at the leading photographic exhibitions. 

 John T. Carrington. 



EXOTIC COCCIDAE IN AUSTRALIA. 



By James Lidgett. 



TOURING recent years many species of exotic 

 -'-^ Coccidae have been found infesting indigenous, 

 as well as introduced plants in Australia. It has 

 •occurred to me that a list of them, together with their 

 food-plants, would be both useful and interesting to 

 those studying these important parasitic insects, 

 especially from their economic aspect. 



The facility now afforded for the transportation of 

 insect life has already been the means of spreading 

 far and wide, such well-known and dreaded pests as 

 the "pernicious" or San Jose scale [Aspidiotus 

 perniciosus of Comstock), and the fluted scale 

 {Icerya purchasi Maskell). This latter insect was 

 tmknown to science prior to the year 1S77 Avhen it 

 was discovered and described in New Zealand. Now 

 it is found on the five Continents. Australia is un- 

 doubtedly the original home oi leery a purchasi, if not 

 of all the genus Icerya. I have often been asked the 

 meaning of the name purchasi, as it not being 

 generally known that it is in honour of Dr. Purchase, 

 of Auckland, New Zealand. 



An example, showing the facility of transmitting 

 living Coccidae through the post, the following extract 

 from a letter just received from Mr. E. Ernest Green, of 

 Ceylon, is of considerable interest : — " In examining 

 your material of Dactyhpius from Acacia dealbata, I 

 was much interested to find a living larva of some 

 Coccinellid beetle that had been feeding upon them. 

 ... Now that there is so much discussion about the 

 importation of beneficial insects to wage war against 

 scale insects, this accidental introduction is of con- 

 siderable interest." The packet took seventeen days 

 in transit from Australia. 



The following are exotic species of scale insects 

 already found in Australia : — 



1. Aspidiotus aurantii Mask. (= coccinct(sQiexa\.]. 

 Infests Citrus. 



2. A. camelliae Bois. (= rapax Comst.). Infests 

 Camellia, Oka, etc. 



3. A. ficus Comst. On Citrus. 



4. A. nerii Bouche. On Oleander citrus. Acacia, 

 etc. 



5. Aspidiotus perniciosus Comst. On Apple, 

 Pear, Eucalyptus, of course exogenitically. 

 There is a great deal _ of confiision existing as to the 



correct identification of A. perniciosus. A species, 

 eucalypti of Mask. , is a very closely allied species and 

 occurs on Eztcalyptus. . A. perniciosus may thus 

 possibly turn out to be a native of Australia. At 

 present Japan is supposed to be its original home. 



6. Diaspis boisdtivalii Sign. On a \'ariety of 

 species of Acacia, Orcliids, etc. 



7. Diaspis rosae Sandbg. On rose and Sniilax. 



8. Mytilaspis gloverii "Pack. On Citrus. 



9. Mytilaspis citricola Pack. On species of Crotoii, 

 Banksia integrifol.ia;{e.^o^e.v\\\c3\\.y]. 



ro. Mytilaspis pamorum Bouche. On apple, 

 plum, and many other trees, (passim). 



11. Chionaspis brasiliensis Sign. On orchids, 

 ferns, etc. 



12. Chionaspis citri (Zo\-ns,t. On Cttrus. 



i^. Ischnaspis filiformis Douglas. On palms. 

 Probably indigenous to all tropical regions, and 

 therefore to North Australia. ' 



14. Lecanium anthuriiTioisAu^aX. On Asparagus. 



15. Lecanium Jilicutn Bold. On Lomaria sp. 



16. Lecanium hemisphaericutn Targ. ( = hiberna- 

 c7.Uorum). On Camellia japonica, Laurus, Buxus, 

 and many other plants, (passim). 



1 7. Lecanium hesperidum Linn. On Laztrus, 

 Citrus, etc. (passim). 



18. Lecanizcm nigritm Neisher. On Haicea sp. 

 and many plants. 



20. Lecanium i^/d'OcBernard. On Camellia japonica, 

 Citrus, Psidium sp., Olea, etc. 



21. Lecanium ribis Ti\.ch. On Ribes grossularia. 



22. Lecaniujn rosarum Snellen. On Ribes sp., 



23. Lecanium tessellatuin Sign. On Laurus nobilis. 



24. Lecanium hej-beridis Schrank. On Vitis 

 vinifera (grape vine). 



25. Planchonia fiiubriata Boy. de Pons. On 

 Leptosperma flavescens. 



26. Dactylopius adonidiim Linn. On Carduus sp. 



27. Dactylopius yamiae Lucus. On Zamia 

 spiralis. 



28. Icerya Aegyptica Doug. On Goodenia oi'ata 

 (exogenitically). 



29. /. ?-flrae Riley and Howard. On Hakea gibhosa. 

 Myrniong, 



Victoria. 20th April, iS()g. 



