89 
pierced or nearly pierced the lead. The owner accepted this evidence 
and talked about the matter among the best architects in the city, some 
of whom gave it as their opinion that the trouble was due to defective 
workmanship or material, and as a result the original plumbing firm 
received the most unfortunate free advertising of a disagreeable nature. 
Local experts were called in, but the owner refused to accept their 
decision, and the matter was finally referred to this office. Both parties 
agreed to abide by the decision rendered. It was at once evident that 
the wood had contained the larve of some species of powder-post beetle 
of the genus Lyctus, that the damage was caused entirely by these 
insects, and that, therefore, it could not be attributed to lack of skill 
or foresight on the part of the plumber. 
ICERYA PURCHASI IN PORTUGAL AND THE AZORES. 
In Volume II! of Insect Life (p. 105) the writer, in a dual article with 
the late Dr. Riley, catalogued the species of Icerya and gave as the 
distribution of J. purchasi, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, 
California, and Mexico. Since the publication of this article no 
announcement has been made of the occurrence of the insect in other 
countries until within the last year or so reports have been published 
of its occurrence in the Azores Islands, and particularly on the island 
of San Miguel. Dr. Francisco A. Chaves, of the Meteorological Obsery- 
atory, Ponta Delgada, in correspondence with the writer has recently 
assured him that the insect does not occur on San Miguel, but that the 
scale which is injuring orange trees at that place is Wytilaspis citricola. 
During the present month (February, 1897) specimens have been 
received from Senhor Armando da Silva which were found upon orange 
trees on the right bank of the river Tagus, near Lisbon, Portugal, 
which proved upon examination to be Jcerya purchasi. Professor da 
Silva in the meantime had published in the “ Annaes de Sciencias 
Natures” (Porto, October, 1896, pp. 224-227) an important article, in 
which he gives the facts not only regarding this occurrence of the 
scale in Portugal, but also evidence which seems to prove that the 
rumors concerning the Azores were perfectly correct. Professor da 
Silva is familiar with all the literature of this insect. The species was 
found in Portugal last May upon branches of Acacia and later appears 
to have been found upon oranges. Professor da Silva points out that 
in 1848-49 a writer in the “ Revista Universal Lisbonense” remarked 
that an insect rather scarce and unknown to most zoologists, which 
attacked Azorian oranges, might be a species belonging to the pew 
genus Dorthesia. In 1878 Senhor Joao Machado de Faria e Maya is said 
to have recognized the existence of Icerya purchasi upon oranges on 
the island of San Miguel, and in visiting California in 1885 he verified 
the exactitude of the preceding determination. ! 
1There must be some mistake about the earlier date, since Maskell’s original 
description was only published in 1878 and did not reach the attention of entomolo- 
gists until a year or two later. 
