14 



there issued from the scales several specimens of a species of Tetrasti- 

 chus. This was eminently discouraging for the reason that all of the 

 species of this genus are hyperparasites, and it seemed possible that 

 the Scutellista had been killed off by this smaller Ohalcidid. No fur- 

 ther specimens of Tetrastichus, however, emerged, and several days 

 later the breeding jar, when examiued in the morning, was found to 

 contain many active specimens of both sexes of the Scutellista. 



In the meantime arrangements had been made, both at Washington, 

 D. 0., and at Baton Rouge, La., to endeavor to establish the species. Prof. 

 H. A.Morgan had for several years held himself in readiness to attempt 

 the experiment, since at Baton Eouge are several trees badly affected by 

 the Ceroplastes. In the insectary at Washington City a large potted 

 plant had also been stocked for two or three years with this scale. Liv- 

 ing specimens found in the breeding jar were immediately transferred 

 to the last-mentioned tree and kept there under a gauze cover. The twigs 

 and all of the contained parasites were carefully packed and trans- 

 mitted to Baton Rouge, where, in the absence of Professor Morgan, they 

 were cared for by Prof. S. E. McClendon. At Washington the Scutel- 

 lista remained alive for many days under the gauze cover on the potted 

 plant. They crawled over the Ceroplastes and endeavored to oviposit. 

 Whether they were successful or not, it is as yet too early to learn. Pro- 

 fessor McClendon, uuder date of July 2, has written that the box con- 

 taining parasites was received in good condition and the twigs were 

 immediately fastened to a tree badly affected with the Ceroplastes. A 

 number of the parasites had issued in the box on the journey, and they 

 were let loose upon the tree, and could be seen ten minutes afterwards 

 crawling very actively around over the scales. The tree upon which 

 they were placed is surrounded by a number of others, all badly affected 

 with Ceroplastes, so "that without any further precautions it is alto- 

 gether likely that the species will become established at Baton Rouge. 



This is one of the comparatively simple introductions which can 

 readily be made with many of these internal feeding parasites. The 

 writer first called attention to the ease with which this sort of work can 

 be done in his article on "Parasites of the Coceidae" in the Annual 

 Report of the Department of Agriculture for 1880. 



v &) AN ACCIDENTAL INTRODUCTION. 



In 1880 Professor Comstock called attention to the occurrence of the 

 European Asterodiaspis quercicola (Bouche) upon imported European 

 oaks on the grounds of the United States Department of Agriculture 

 at Washington, D. C. This species, he stated in his report as Ento- 

 mologist for the Department of Agriculture for that year, is not a com- 

 mon one in Europe, but is occasionally destructive to an individual 

 tree. Like so many other European insects, however, when once 

 imported into the United States, this species has become abundant and 

 destructive. One large tree upon the grounds of the Department of 

 Agriculture at Washington has been killed outright. 



