some of the orchards become diseased, presumably from the effects of 

 the Red Scale, and, as is the case at the Gordon district, near Sydney, 

 one tree after another will succumb. An examination showed that 

 these trees had been planted in heavy, clayey soil, without any drain- 

 age, and were invariably destroyed by the so-called "foot rot." The 

 fact is. that if an orange or lemon orchard, as the case may be, is 

 planted in an unsuitable location or soil, left for years without any at- 

 tention whatever, and the weeds allowed to grow, before very long the 

 leaves will become yellow and drop off slowly, and in time the remaining 

 green leaves will become covered with Ked Scale, since, as is always the 

 case, the predaceous insects preying upon them are not found on 

 such trees, as they prefer trees with dense foliage and shade. Such 

 trees may thus linger for months or even years before dying, and may 

 even again recover if proper attention is given them. In one such 

 orchard, of several acres in extent, but a few living twigs covered with 

 Ked Scale were found on many of the trees, yet not a single one of the 

 many predaceous insects preying upon them could be noticed. In an- 

 other instance an orchard of some 8 or 10 acres and about 35 years old, 

 the proprietor of which always supplied sufficient manure and kept the 

 ground cultivated, during the whole of its existence had been infested 

 with red as well as other scales, and yet but a very few trees along the 

 border of one side could be found that showed any traces of them. 

 The whole orchard within the 35 years had never been pruned, sprayed, 

 or even washed. Xumerous dead limbs were present, the stems and 

 limbs partly covered with lichens, and yet I have never met with, in 

 Australia, a finer lot of trees, such glossy deep-green foliage, abun- 

 dance of fruit, and so free from scales at the same time. 



A large number of predaceous insects were found preying upon the 

 Ked Scale in Australia. Of the most numerous were Orcus chalybeus 

 Boisd., 0. australasia Boisd.; and one of the small Rhizobius was 

 always present in extremely large numbers. This is R. satellus Blaekb. 

 R. hirtellus Crotch* is numerous around Sydney, but more so at Too- 

 woomba. R. Tooivoombw Blaekb., R. debilis Blaekb., R. ccecus Blaekb., 

 /,'. plabeiu8 Blaekb., R.puJcher Blaekb., were all found upon this scale, 

 as also various species of Scymnids, Midus pygmeeus Blaekb., Lipernes 

 subviridis Blaekb., were always numerous. Serangium maculigerum 

 Blaekb. and 8. Mrtuosum Blaekb. were also found on trees with this 

 scale, and several more of which I have as yet found no names. 



The small tineid larvae, feeding on Chionaspis aud Mytilaspis, have 

 also been found preying upon this coecid where numerous. A fungus, 

 Microcera coccophila Desm., often destroys all these scales upon trees 

 around Sydney, as well as Chionaspis citri ( Jomst. and My tilaspis glover i 

 Tack. An attempt has been made to introduce the same upon the Bed 

 Scale in California. Mr. Tryon mentions this fungus and one Rhizobiu* 



' Tin description of R. liirUIlns doos not agree with my insect, -which is close to 

 1*4 Hlackb. 



