The common use of the Priekly-pear (0. 



lii and 0. monacantha) ui Ceylon is as a 

 hedge component. Such a method of employ- 

 ment has nothing to commend it from the stand- 

 point of Australian circumstances. 



In some places, e.g., Mount Lavinia, 0. mona- 

 cantha was planted around the bases of cocoanut 

 trees as a protection against thieves, while it 

 was not uncommon in the coastal districts to 

 find the same species of pear fastened around 

 the trunks of these trees for the same purpose. 



The Ceylon Investigations Summarised. 



These do not seem to assist to any material 

 extent in solving the prohlem of destroyiag 

 Prickly-pear by utilising it. 



Previous to the visit of the Commission 

 to Ceylon facts had already been recorded by 

 one of its members indicating that formerly a 

 "Wild Cochineal Insect had proved highly destruc- 

 tive to a particular kind of Prickly -pear natural- 

 ised there and, in fact, had locally exterminated 

 it; also, that it had done the same where pur- 

 posely disseminated. It has now elicited testi- 

 mony and made observations corroborative of 

 these facts. 



Moreover, the investigations in Ceylon 

 have proved that these incidents, which occurred 

 in the middle of the last century, are still hap- 

 pening in a certain portion of the island. 



But that the insect is not really an enemy 

 of a variety of Prickly-pear {i.e., 0. dillemi, 

 typical form) whose existence in Queensland is 

 open to some doubt, but of one (0. monacantha) 

 which is actually naturalised there and is locally 

 very abundant — e.g., in the Suttor Eiver Valley. 



Consignments of the insect were sent to 

 Queensland. This has led to the establishment 

 of Coccus indicus in our State. 



APPENDIX. 



MEASURES TO BE ADOPTED WITH 

 COCHINEAL-INFESTED PEAR FOR- 

 WARDED BY THE PRICKLY-PEAR 

 (TRAVELLING) COMMISSION (FIRST 

 CONSIGNMENT) ON ITS ARRIVAL IN 

 QUEENSLAND. 



Forwarded to the Under Secretary for Public 

 Lands with Letter from the Commission dated 

 10th January, 1913. 



Introductory. 



In the district of Ceylon, in which the "Wild 

 Cochineal Insects referred to hereunder were 

 procured, these natural enemies of the Prickly- 

 pear were found by us to be capable of keeping 

 one of the Queensland Prickly-pear pests in sub- 

 jection and generally destroying it. It is possible 

 that they will in time prove similarly baneful to 

 one at least of the other kinds that constitute such 

 notorious weeds in North-eastern Australia — e.g., 

 Opuntia inermis. The Prickly-pear species that 

 at present claims their attention in Ceylon is 

 Opuntia monacantha, which we learn from Mr. 

 Temple Clerk is so prevalent in the Valley of the 



The Wild Cochineal Insect will in appearance recall 

 the form of an ordinary Mealy Bug, and, like it, is slowly 

 active when young; but it is without the filamentary 

 prooesses of this ineeot. 



Suttor River, and also occurs sporadically not 

 only in other parts of Queensland, but in New 

 South Wales, Victoria, and South Austraha as 

 well. 



Since the unsuitable conditions that have 

 obtained at the time of shipment will necessarily 

 reduce the number of insects arriving alive, it is 

 of high importance that every care be taken of 

 the consignment on its receipt in order that it may 

 result in this Wild Cochiaeal becoming established 

 in Queensland and destroying Prickly-pear plants 

 there as it has done and still does in Ceylon. It 

 is, therefore, reconunended as follows : — 



Arrival op the Consignment. 



1. On arrival of the consignment, it should 

 be taken over with as little delay as possible by 

 one of the Entomologists attached to the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture and Stock. 



2. This ofScer should open the boxes and at 

 once ascertain the extent to which living cochineal 

 insects are present, noting, for future report 

 under the several numbers by which the different 

 packages are marked, the facts in this regard. 

 At the same time he should take prompt mea- 

 sures — 



(a) To protect the insects and their progeny 

 (eggs and larvte) from access of ants 

 and cockroaches, both of which may 

 consume them; 



(&) To place them, as far as practicable, 

 under conditions that will admit of their 

 retaining their former vigour and multi- 

 plying. For this purpose he should 

 have for his work a small site, secluded 

 from public access ( ? at Stock Institute, 

 Yeerongpilly), and either rooted ex- 

 amples of the favoured host plant of the 

 insect — i.e., Opuntia monacantha — or re- 

 cently established cuttings whose con- 

 tinuous growth may be anticipated. Aa 

 much young growth as possible is a de- 

 sideratum in this connection, and this 

 should be dry and free from dust ; 



(c) And to transfer the Wild Cochineal to 

 such fresh food-plants. Two procedures 

 might be adopted — 



(1) Little loose masses, not more than 1% 

 inches in diameter and composed of 

 cocoa-nut fibre (coir from matting) 

 or fine Raphia, and two or three fully- 

 developed cochineal insects enclosed in 

 their centres, so that when the young 

 issue they may crawl forth ; or 



(2) Small pieces of the Prickly-pear leaf 

 having insects upon them should be 

 cut out. 



In either ease the material bearing 

 the insects should be fastened to the 

 leaf of the growing plant by means of 

 an Opuntia thorn, choosing preferably, 

 as a site for this implanting, a surface 

 little exposed to cutting wind or to rain, 

 and preferably near some young growth, 

 this being especially favoured by the 

 larval cochineal insects on hatching out. 



(d) It is further to be observed that, in the 

 Brisbane area at least, the Wild Cochi- 

 neal Insect may meet with a formidable 

 enemy in a small beetle and its larvae, 

 Cryptolcemus Montrouzieri, that natur- 

 ally preys on mealy bugs. Accordingly, 



