mature inserts are out. and the Beeond brood appears in March. But few pnpae 

 were found on March 18, and stray larvsB of all sizes, showing: thai there are irregu- 

 larities in the Dumber of broods. Most beetles were found hibernating at the be- 

 ginning id' July at Pai lamatta. » i 1 1 i 1 1 ^ in clusters between folded leaves, etc., and 

 only part of them were active and feeding. No larva- were observed at tins time. 

 This insect was met with in large cumbers from Sydney north to Brisbane, upon 

 citrus and other trees infested with Red Scale. It was also found breeding, and 

 likely upon its original food (before the introduction of the Red Scale) upon various 

 species of Evginia t myrtle) that were infested with a species of EriocOCClta — very near 

 to /■;. pallidas Mask.. Planchonia stylobata Mask.. Chionaapia eugenia Mask., and I'io- 

 r'niia >p. at New South Wales and Queensland. The larva- ami mature insects were 

 repeatedly observed feeding upon the Eiiococcua in New- South Wales, and the ma- 

 ture beetle was also seen feeding upon an CMonaapis, apparently Ch. eugeniw Mask., 

 on a Drum mi at Toowoomba, and was also found upon Cyvearpia lavHfolia, upon 

 which Chionaapia eugenias was present. Naturally, regarding an imported insect such 

 a> this, no pains were spared in tracing up all the coccids it t'vd on in Australia and 

 upon which it would likely U-vd in California. 



This is the only insect of the introduced species seen at Los Angeles on my visit 

 at the beginning of September, 1892. In places where they had first been turned 

 loose they were found quite numerous already in all stages. It is hard to estimate 

 tin- numbers present, hut we will give a low figure, say. 5,000. These would natur- 

 ally increase ahout a hundredfold with every new brood, and some 20,000,000 of the 

 beetles could he expected under favorable circumstances at the end of next year, 

 provided they are not destroyed with sprays and fumigation. And if the insect should 

 only increase fifty fold, and increase they must according- to natural laws, the num- 

 ber would amount to some 3,125.000,000 at the end of two years hence. 



With this,Orctt« uitstruluxiu Boisd, and Ehizobius aatellua Blackh., as principal 

 agents, I am confident that the now so feared Red Scale will become comparatively 

 harmless within a few years. 



Not in one instance did I meet with the larva of this insect upon the Black Scale 

 in Australia, ami yet the beetles had increased in large numbers upon this scale with 

 Hon. Ell wood Cooper. The beetle was liberated at my suggestion, upon the perni- 

 cious scale in northern California, hut up to date, as far as I know, they have not 

 been found feeding upon the same. I look for the insects to appear upon some 

 Chionaspid or Lecanium scale, and do not believe that they all perished. 



NATURAL ENEMIES. 



Ilnmuloli/ht* sp. — Large numbers of the larva- are destroyed in Australia by an 

 internal parasite. Mantis feed largely upon the larva 1 , as also do birds, and these 

 attack the mature insects as well. Numerous lizards feed upon the same, and spiders 

 also destroy many. With us the principal enemy, the Homalotylns, is not to he feared, 

 and the birds, I am sorry to say, are becoming less every year. Mantis are too 

 rare in California to do any great harm upon these beetles, and spiders do not destroy 

 many. With these favorable circumstances we can expect a rapid increase of the 

 beetle, and it will he some time before the insect is attacked to any extent by 

 natural enemies, as is the ease with any newly-introduced pest. 



Ortma auetrakuia Boisd. — Probably more valuable than the foregoing (0. chulybeus) 

 from it-* habits of feeding upon so many and various coccids. The Ked Scale may be 

 mentioned as one of it- most important foods in this country. The larva-, as well as 

 the mature insects, were nearly as numerous during March around Sydney as its 

 ally. The habits are about the same, and the coccids upon which the insect was 

 found feeding beside the Ked Scale were various species of Lecanium in South Aus- 

 tralia. Victoria, New smith Wales, and Queensland; upon Eiiococcua leptoapermi 

 Ma>k.. on Ltjrto&permunx lotvigatmm&t Parramatta, New South Wales. December 21. 

 1891; quite numerous at Mulgoa, New South Wales, in all stages upeu Acacia infes- 



