45 
courteously permitted to examine specimens of the insect mounted for 
the microscope, and found that it differed from the typical Phyllowera 
vastatri¢ in some particulars, notably in the length of the rostrum in 
the larval forms. 
The doubts which then arose in my mind with regard to the 
correctness of the identification have been strengthened by a close 
examination, of the specimens sent by Mr. Pond to the Colonial 
Museum. Therefore, while fully assenting to the correctness of the 
generic identification, I must for the present hold the identity of 
the Auckland insect with the vine-louse of Europe and America “not 
proven.” ; 
It may be worth while to state the history of the affected vines, 
so far as I have been able to ascertain it. About four years ago 
Mr. Isaacs, of Remuera, erected a vinery, and instructed his gardener, 
Mr. H. Allen, to preparea border, and to order certain vines from Britain. 
The border was prepared by Mr. Allen, who is an intelligent 
gardener, and bears a hah reputation as a vipe-grower. The plants 
were supplied by a well-known firm of nurserymen in Scotland, who 
obtained one or two special varieties from an eminent vine-grower in 
England. They were planted in a Wardian case, and shipped by way 
of Melbourne, where they were detained for a short time, pending 
transhipment, but I could not learn that the case was opened until its 
arrived in Auckland. In the meantime Mr. Allen had left the service 
of Mr. Isaacs, and the vines were planted by his successor, but appear 
to have been sickly almost from the first, the growth being weak and 
miserable, and the plants, as I was informed, infested with mealy bug and 
other pests. This continued until May last, when specimens of the roots 
were submitted to Mr. Pond, who discovered phyllorera upon them. 
Acting upon Mr. Pond’s advice, Mr. Isaacs had the vines destroyed, 
the vinery washed and fumigated, and the soil in which the vines were 
own burned, in order to extirpate the pest. It is, however, matter 
for regret that specimens of the roots and leaves of the affected 
parts were not preserved in spirit or glycerine for satisfactory 
reference. 
On visiting the vinery it was evident that the work of destruction 
had been efficiently performed. I was unable to procure a scrap of leaf 
or root to ascertain the extent of the affection. The gardener in 
charge informed me that he did not enter the service of Mr. Isaacs 
until some time after the vines had been planted, and that he found 
them in a dirty condition, laden with insects. The remedies 
which he applied were uniformly without effect. On examining the 
roots, many of the fibres were covered with small galls, and the greater 
portion of the roots appeared to be powdered with a fine white dust 
something like flour. He did not observe any galls on the leaves. 
In some places the roots extended beyond the border into the clay sub- 
soil, and were perfectly clean. On the other hand, fibres given off 
inside the house were badly infested. Weeds or other plants growing 
on or about the border were not affected in any way, their roots being 
perfectly clean. 
