national importance through their most gratifying success in de- 

 stroying our injurious insects by importations of their enemies 

 from foreign countries. Experiments in this line began as many as 

 thirty years ago, but, as Howard says, these were all "dwarfed 

 into insignificance by the astounding success of the importation of 

 Novius (Yedalia) cardinalis, a ladybird beetle, from Australia into 

 California in 1889." I will condense Howard's interesting account 

 of this and similar importations. 



The citrus crops of California were suffering from the rav- 

 ages of the white or fluted scale, a very small insect, which success- 

 fully resisted all measures employed against it, until it seemed that 

 nothing could rescue the orange groves from certain destruction. 

 At this juncture an attache of the United States Division of Ento- 

 mology visited Australia and succeeded in sending live beetles to 

 California. Here they made themselves at home, multiplying with 

 astonishing fecundity and attacking the scale insects so voraciously 

 that within a few years they had literally exterminated them, and 

 saved to the citrus industries of California, millions of dollars. 

 Later, the United States entomologist had the pleasure of intro- 

 ducing the same beetle from California into South Africa, Egypt 

 and Portugal, in each of which localities it was successful in com- 

 bating the white scale. Another ladybird beetle imported into 

 California "has unquestionably ridden many olive groves of the 

 destructive black scale, and is today present in many other orchards 

 in such numbers that the scale practically makes no headway." 

 Many other experiments of this sort are under way in this country, 

 and the efficacy of insect importations has been successfully tested 

 in Hawaii and other lands. 



The last annual report of the United States Secretary of Agri- 

 culture announces the success of another importation, a most un- 

 ique experiment, the scene of which lies in California. For several 

 years the fruit growers had attempted to raise Smyrna figs in 

 California, without success. About six years ago the Division of 

 Entomology determined to introduce from the Mediterranean coun- 

 try a little insect, Blastophaga grossorum, which there performs 

 the very essential function of pollenizing the fig. After four or five 

 generations of this fertilizing insect had been reared at Fresno, 

 it became evident that it would supply the only factor lacking for 



