32 
I believe, that it is a native of Australia, and was introduced from that country on mimosa 
plants; but this is an error, and Acacias arc rarely or never introduced an living plants, 
owing to their being so readily propagated from seed. 
The Icerya is abundant in the northern and middle parts of the Auckland district, 
and usually prefers citraceous fruits; it is, however, found in large quantities upon 
some of the wattles, evincing a decided preference for the silver wattle (Acacia deal- 
bata). It is, however, occasionally found on furze, manuka (Leptospermum scoparivm . 
peach and apple, but on these fruits only in small quantities, and not, so far as I am 
aware, doing serious damage ; in fact it is only found upon these plants when grow- 
ing in the neighborhood of infested Citrads. It is occasionally found on a few native 
trees, but it is not causing any great injury. 
It is also found in Napier and other parts of Hawke's bay, on the eastern coast of 
North Island, and in Nelson, and the northwestern corner of the South Islands. It 
is also said to be found in Canterbury, but I have no direct evidence of its occurrence 
in that district. 
It is not found either in Taranaki or Wellington, in the North Island, except Nel- 
son and possibly Canterbury. 
There can be no question that it is a serious foe to citraceous fruits and to wattles. 
In the vicinity of Auckland, and in many other parts of that district, it is abundant. 
I have seen trees greatly injured by its ravages, but cannot say that I have seen any 
killed. At present orange culture has not attained large dimensions here, but there 
can be no question that Icerya is the worst foe our orange-growers will have to en- 
counter. 
I have not seen an Acacia killed by this pest, although the under surfaces of branches 
are frequently covered. In a few established orange grounds the yield of fruit is ma- 
terially diminished by the ravages of this insect. 
No official documents have been published respecting the Icerya except the Fruit 
Blights report already mentioned, of which a copy of a Queensland reprint is inclosed 
herewith. The forest department has purchased Mr. Maskell's account of Scale In- 
sects and is about to publish the same with colored plates. A copy shall be forwarded 
as soon as it leaves the press. [L. M. Kirk, General Crown's Land Office, Forest and 
Agricultural Branch, Wellington, New Zealand, March 25, 1887. 
From an article by E. J. Dunn, in Melbourne Argus. August 1886. 
I desire to call attention to a species of Coccus known as Dorthesia. This destruc- 
tive pest was first observed on the island of Bourbon. Thence it spread to Mauritius, about 
25 years since. In Mauritius it destroyed the orange and lemon trees, many of the orna- 
mental shrubs and Acacias, and wrecked most of the beautiful plantations and shrubbtrii* 
At Port Louis it still exists in loathsome masses on the handsome Talipot palm*. 
About 12 years ago it was noticed for the first time in the Botanical Gardens, Cape 
Town, and most probably arrived there from Mauritius with plants sent to the Bo- 
tanical Gardens. During the first summer it spread about three miles into the sub- 
urbs along the railway. Its fearfully destructive character now became evident, for 
the orange trees, the Australian wattles, the pittosphorums, and the blackwoods be- 
came loaded with this disgusting parasite, and the trees slowly but surely snoenmbed 
to its attacks. * * * 
All trees of theorango kind, such as lemon, citron, shaddock. &c , proved espeeially 
suitable food for the Dorthesia, and once a tree became infested no amount of syring- 
ing or washing prevented its destruction. The disastrous results of its arrival at the 
Cape are all too evident. 
Formerly in Cape Town itself, and throughout the suburbs, the orange tree lent a 
charni to the gardens that no other tree could give, a'. d in the Western Province 
orange-growing formed a most important source of wealth, many fanners netting sev- 
eral hundreds a year from their orange groves. Some of these groves, planted by the 
