94 BULLETIN NO. 4, DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



Port of New York, Appraiser's Office, 



April 10, 1883. 



Sir : Eespectfully referring to the inclosed communication, directing 

 that a microscopic examination be made of a sample of certain vine 

 clippings recently imported from the island of Madeira, I have the honor 

 to report as follows : I have submitted the above sample to a microsco- 

 pic examination, and, while I have as yet been unable to detect certain 

 positive indications of the presence of phylloxera, I am of the opinion, 

 after comparing the clippings with others of known freedom from 

 disease, that they present appearances which are at least suspicious. 

 Considering the importance of this matter, I would respectfully suggest 

 that^the clippings under consideration be submitted for examination to 

 Prof. C. V. Riley, who I believe is at present the entomologist of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture, and who has devoted more 

 attention to this special subject than any other American scientist. 



An investigation would require experience of a peculiar nature, and 

 would involve a more complete acquaintance with the physical appear- 

 ance of the healthy and diseased vine than I can make claim to. 

 Respectfully, 



J. B. BATTERSHALL. 



The Hon. A. G. Ketchtjm. 



Washington, April 18, 1883. 



Sir: In reply to the letter of the Assistant Secretary of the Treas- 

 ury, with inclosures from the New York Custom -House, respecting an 

 invoice of vine-cuttings from Madeira suspected of u phylloxera disease, 7 ' 

 I would submit the following: 



The samples submitted, upon examination, furnish no sign whatever 

 of Phylloxera, and it is extremely doubtful whether any trace of Phyl- 

 loxera could be discovered upon any of the cuttings : 1st, because Phyl- 

 loxera is not known to be destructive in Madeira; and, 2d, because it 

 could only be found in winter egg, which, even in countries where Phyl- 

 loxera abounds, is extremely rare. Hence the chances of the introduc- 

 tion of the pest upon these cuttings are so very remote as not to be 

 worth considering. But, even if the cuttings came from a country 

 badly infested with Phylloxera, the danger of the introduction of the 

 pest upon them would be very slight, the reasons for which conclusion 

 I have already discussed in the American Naturalist for March, 1881, 

 and I beg leave to inclose a copy of said article, which gives in addi- 

 tion a succinct statement of the life habits of the insect. 



Even were it possible to introduce the insect with these cuttings, no 

 harm could result so long as they were sent to any part of the United 

 States east of the Rocky Mountains, since the Phylloxera is indigenous 

 here." On the same supposition that the cuttings were badly infested, 

 prudence would dictate that they should not be sent to the Pacific coast, 

 or those portions of it where the Phylloxera does not yet exist ; but 



