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•the usefulness of ladybirds in California, as their work will not be so 

 rapid. I have written to Mr. Scott to ascertain if any one at Pomona 

 had sent direct to Australia for ladybirds, as it is known that an in- 

 ternal parasite is common there. The beetles are not subject to the 

 attacks of the .parasite. 



I received an application for a colony of Novius Koebelei from the 

 Department of Agriculture of the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, 

 and forwarded them on August 18th, and have recently received a letter 

 from the Hon. Sydney Cowper, acknowledging receipt thereof and stat- 

 ing that a number had arrived in good condition, also that several 

 larvae had hatched out. 



Colonies of this beneficial insect have also been asked for by planters 

 in Samoa, also by the Hon. J. Marsden, Commissioner of Agriculture of 

 Hawaii, which have been forwarded to them. 



I have to acknowledge the receipt of a colony of ladybirds (Chryp- 

 iolsem,us montrouzieri, Muls.), from Mr. Marsden. This ladybird is 

 one of the most effective enemies of mealy bugs (Dactylopius) . As soon 

 as they increase a colony will be placed upon a plantation of Phormium 

 tenax infested with this pest in the University grounds at Berkeley. An 

 orange grove in Los Angeles County is also infested with this pest, and 

 s, colony will be sent to check it. 



The minute ladybird (Scymnus nanus) which I referred to in my last 

 report as having discovered at Rivera, Los Angeles County, feeding 

 upon red spiders, I think will prove of great value in checking this 

 pest, and would recommend that colonies be sent next season wherever 

 this pest is found in the State. Commissioner Scott has forwarded me 

 several colonies, one of which was sent to Mr. Marsden — he having 

 made application to me for same — to check the red spider in the coffee 

 plantations of the Hawaiian Islands, and the others were liberated in 

 Alameda County. 



The Vedalia cardinalis and Novius Koebelei we breed in the office and 

 have them constantly ready for distribution. The former are "city 

 bred" for at least thirty generations, as they have been propagated for 

 over three years indoors, and the beetles are as well developed and the 

 ' larvae as voracious as the original colony, and do their work as effectively 

 when liberated in an infested orchard. 



As the majority of the colonies of ladybirds are sent by mail, and having 

 had one box returned, I inquired into the matter and learned that there 

 is a postal regulation restricting the transmission of live insects through 

 the mails, to queen bees. As our new mailing boxes are stamped with 

 the words: "Beneficial Insects, from the State Board of Horticulture, 

 220 Sutter Street, San Francisco, Cal.," I saw that it was a direct noti- 

 fication to the postal authorities of the violation of the law, so in June I 

 submitted the matter to our local officials, with samples of our mailing 

 boxes, together with the reports of the Board covering the subject, which 

 were forwarded to the Postmaster-General, and the following notice was 

 subsequently issued to all Postmasters: 



€>ost Office Department, ( 

 [Order No. 247.1 Washington, B.C., July 12, 1894. f 



Section 322, Postal Laws and Regulations 1893, is hereby modified so as to admit to 

 the mails, alive, an insect known as the "Australian Ladybird." This insect has been 

 introduced into this country from Australia by fruit growers for the purpose of clearing 

 scale insects from fruit trees, and it is reported has proved a very effective remedy for 

 that great scourge to fruit trees. 



W. S. BISSELL, 



Postmaster-General. 



