EXTRACTS OF PROCEEDINGS. XXXV 



when my gardener accidentally discovered that it had lost all its bark 

 on the lower part of the stem, and was in fact a corpse. The next 

 to succumb was a New Zealand Olearia Haastii, which perished 

 in exactly the same manner. It was then the turn of a large 

 Fuchsia, of which the bark under similar conditions was stripped 

 off the stem. After the Fuchsia a brigade of Sikkim and Bhotan 

 Rhododendrons was destroyed. And now as to the cause. Before 

 winter set in we had a delicious Indian summer in portions of 

 October and November, and to such an extent that our thrushes 

 and blackbirds took to singing, and, I believe, to nesting. The 

 exceptional warmth no doubt set the sap rising, and in this state 

 it was caught, as in a trap, by the sudden change of temperature." 

 Dr. Miiller said he had seen the same thing in plantations of 

 Rhododendrons near Bagshot. Mr. Wilks said the outer bark of 

 R. Falconeri scaled off normally as in a Plane tree. From exa- 

 mination he doubted if the plant were quite dead. He himself 

 had had a very large plant of Erica mediterranea which was 

 throwing its spikelets ; on examination the stems were found 

 split open longitudinally, and appeared as if full of cotton wool. 

 This was due to frost. Dr. Masters, after examining the leaves 

 of the plant sent, concluded that the plant would not have lived 

 if left in the ground. The Committee decided that its condition 

 was probably due to the action of frost. 



Egyptian Mealy Bug. — Mr. McLachlan showed twigs covered 

 with this insect, and in addition to statements made on previous 

 occasions (December 10, 1889, &c), said that Mr. Douglas first 

 described it as Crossotosoma segyptiacum, but Professor Riley 

 had since concluded that it was probably no other than a true 

 Icerya. The Egyptian Government are taking steps to 

 introduce the Australian and New Zealand ladybirds, which 

 had been so successful in America. As the Egyptian species 

 is not the same as the Australian and American pest, and as 

 the climate is so different, the success of the experiment is 

 doubtful. 



Peach Yellows. — Dr. Masters produced twigs and leaves of 

 Peach trees from the Cape of Good Hope suffering from this 

 disease. It was common in America, and was supposed to be 

 bacterial. This had not been determined, and the specimens 

 were referred to Professor Marshall Ward. 



Diseased Boots of Draccena. — A root of Dracaena, probably 



