21 
Mr. Lounsbury replied that he did not think it is known. The scale 
must have been in Cape Colony for many years and is not confined to 
citrus trees. It occurs most commonly on oleander and myroporum. 
He had found it 150 miles inland and on numerous indigenous plants 
away from settlements. 
Mr. Johnson asked whether the parasite is solely responsible for the 
reduction of the scale in the orchards, and whether oleander is grown 
in South Africa as it is here, under glass. 
Mr. Lounsbury replied that oleander at the Cape is an outdoor 
plant. He could not say positively that the scale is held in check 
solely by the parasite. It comes and goes, and is never very abundant. 
Only twice has he been shown by a farmer the scale on citrus trees. 
Mr. Johnson, referring to Mr. Howard’s description of the covering 
of fig trees much in the same way that Vedalia was covered in order to 
keep the figs on the trees, asked if it is necessary for the fig to remain 
upon the tree in order that the parasites may be carried through the 
winter with it. 
Mr. Howard said that he assumed so. 
Mr. Johnson suggested, from what he had seen of the condition in — 
which the fig winters, that it might be possible to take figs at certain 
times from the trees and thus keep the insect through the winter. If 
this could be done it would do away with the outdoor covering. 
Whether or not the figs could be kept through the winter under cer- 
tain conditions is well worthy of trial. While on this topic of para- 
sites he desired to state that he had recently received a communication 
from Mr. Ehrhorn, in which the latter asked for parasites preying in 
the East on the imported cabbage worm. It seemed to Mr. Johnson 
that this was a matter for cooperation, and he merely mentioned the 
fact as a suggestion from Mr. Ehrhorn that it is very desirable to 
establish such parasites.in that section. He had promised to do what 
he could from his end of the line, and he hoped that others who were 
fortunate enough to possess such parasites would also assist. He had 
also received a request from Professor Morgan for specimens of the 
parasite which he had bred and which Mr. Howard had named. Pro- 
fessor Morgan is anxious to colonize this parasite on M/wrgantia his- 
trionica in Louisiana, and Mr. Johnson had promised to send him 
parasitized eggs of the harlequin cabbage bug at the earliest oppor- 
tunity, but up to the present time had been unable to find any speci- 
mens of this destructive pest. Three years ago it was one of the most 
destructive insects in the Maryland and Virginia cabbage-growing 
sections, but since the freeze of February, 1899, he had seen very few 
specimens. He was unable to say whether this was due entirely to 
the freeze or to the parasites. The parasite is a new species (Hncyrtus 
johnsont Howard, Can. Ent., Vol. XXX, pp. 17, 18) and there seems 
to be some promise of its successful introduction into the South. 
