76 
SuppUmni to the Tropical Agriculturist." [JULY 1, 1908. 
serum will to a certain extent also preciptate mutton 
and goat flesh. Even in tliis case the test is useful, 
lor if the minimum dose is used a solution of beef 
is ouly slightly troubled, and thot of mutton and 
goat flesh gives no reaction. In no case should the 
experiment be conf.iuued for more than sixteen 
hours, or error mny arise by precipitation taking 
place through the action of micro-organisms quite 
apart from the serum, nnd if the control tube 
gives a precipitate at the end of the experiment it 
should be commenced again. The activity of the 
serum should be tested on a solution of known 
composition. 
In conclusion, 1 would point out that I have 
frequently used this method and have every 
confidence in it aa a valuable test, aud certainly 
think it ought to be known to all meat inspectors. 
In order to popularise the plan, precipitant 
serum for beef, pork, horse, and dog flesh is sent 
gratuitously from the Alfort College to all meat 
inspectors in France. — Revue Oenevale de Medecine 
Veterinaire, 15th February, 1903. 
PRICKLY PEAR: AN INTERESTING 
COMMUNICATION PROM CEYLON. 
Mr. John Rudd, Superintendent of Police, 
JafEua,has sent the Queensland Agricultural Gazette, 
an extract from Mr. .J P Lewis' "Manual of the 
Vanni Districts" on the destruction of Opuntia 
Billenii by the help of a beetle, of which the name 
is not given, but supposed to be allied to the cochi- 
neal insect. Referring to the above the Queensland 
Gazette says : — Mr. Rudd rightly concludes that his 
communication may prove of great interest to us 
in Queensland, and we are much indebted to him 
for it. He says that the insect seems to have died 
out, and the Opuntia is once more rapidly spreading 
in the Vanni districts. Not being able to ascertain 
the name of the insect, Mr. Rudd inquired of Sir 
William Twynam, K. C. M. G-., who was the 
Government Agent of the Province of Juffria for 
many years, and had previously held office at 
Mannar. Sir William stated that he recollected 
the insect, and thiit it seemed to be a beetle, the 
larvae of which fed on the juicy kaves of the 
Opuntia, weaving a web over the leaves, on which 
the eggs had been laid, to protect itself. The 
beetles soon reduced the Opuntia to a condition of 
pulp, rapidly killing it out to the roots. Cochineal 
of a kind was manufactured from the beetles, but 
Sir William could not say whether it waa real 
cochineal, or what is obtained from some beetle 
allied to the cochineal insect. 
The advertisement in the Queensland Agrieu- 
tural Journal, offering a reward for the successful 
eradication of the prickly pear, does not give ttie 
scientific name of the pest ; but it is probable that 
the insect under reference would readily feed on 
any Opuntia closely resembling Dillenii. 
As the insect now appears to be extinct in Ceylon, 
Mr. Rudd thinks it might be worth while to 
correspond with the Government of the Madras 
Presidency with a view to ascertaining whether finy 
advantage is likely to result from the introduction 
of the insect into Queensland, 
Copy Extract from p. 279 of Mr. J. P. LewW 
" Manual of the Vanni Districts, " 
published by the Government of Ceylon in 1890.' 
" The Prickly Pear, Nak ikalli {Opuntia Dillenii), 
is very common about Mullaitiou and along the 
coast. In fact, so much had this exotic spread, 
that attempts have been made at different times 
to get rid of it by means of some insect. Large num- 
bers of plants near Mathalau, and some near the 
Chinnaru, had been destroyed in this way by 
insects introduced from Jiiffnn, and some plants 
at Chemmalai, upon which insects brought from 
Trincomalee into the Newara Kalauriga District, 
and thence into the Vanni, had been put, had 
rapidly decayed. Mr, Dyke brought some more 
insects from Jaffna in 1865, and put them on 
plants at Mullaitiou. So great was the destruction 
they caused that three years afterwards, the 
assistant agent could not find a plant near Mul- 
laitiou to destroy. Mr. Dyke remarks that this 
means of destroying the prickly pear must have 
been much appieciated by the natives for the insect 
to have spread so rapidly." 
Extract from Diary of 1865-68 
"The Madras Government required its officers 
to help in distributing the insect in consequence 
of the great nuisance caused by the spread of this 
plant." 
Note by Mr. J. P. Letvis. 
" I suppose this was not the cochineal insect, 
or the name would have been mentioned. " 
The above communication, continues the Queens- 
land paper, is most interesting, and comes 
opportunely at a time when many schemes are 
being proposed for the destruction of the pear 
(Opuntia vulgaris) in Queensland, which now 
covers thousands of acres of plain and scrub 
land, as far from the coast as Morven, on the 
Western Railway Line, which appears to be its 
limit at present. If such an insect could be 
obtained, and it performed the work ascribed to it, 
thousands of acres of land would be reclaimed for 
agricultural and other purposes, and thousands of 
pounds sterling would be saved to the State. 
We have referred the matter to Mr. H. Tryon, 
Government Vegetable Pathologist and Entomo- 
logist, and he will doubtless throw more light ou 
the subject. 
HOUSEHOLD HINTS. 
A sokition of equal parts of Gum Arabic and 
Plaster of Paris cements China and earthenware. 
A small quantity of oatmeal porrdige taken at 
bedtime is the best of all remedies for sleepless- 
ness. 
To mend China or glass, mix unslaked lime with 
the white of an egg, and, seeing that the edges 
of the broken parts are quite clean, put the paste 
on with a match, 
