PARASITES AND NATURAL ENEMIES. 55 
dry scales still adhering to the trees. After a careful examination of 
these scales scarcely a live one could be found. Mr. Richardson assured 
ine that the trees had not been treated with any kind of insecticide and 
they certainly gave no evidence of such treatment. The dead scales 
showed no indications of having been destroyed by ladybirds nor yet 
by internal parasites. Wishing to ascertain if this singular mortality 
was general among these scales in other localities, I examined several 
infested pear trees in this city, but found that the fruit and new growth 
upon them were thickly infested with these scales, which were alive and 
to all appearances in a very thriving condition. It would appear, there- 
fore, that this mortality among the San Jose scales was entirely due to 
some low form of fungous growth." 
The species sent us were submitted to Professor Galloway, who gave 
them a careful examination, but was unable to discover any sign of fun- 
gous disease, except the sooty fungus (Fumago salicina), which is a very 
common accompaniment of scale or plant-louse injury, but seems to 
develop in the excretions of these insects and not to have any important 
bearing on their vitality. The failure to discover the cause of the 
mortality in some specific disease germ does not, however, preclude 
this explanation of the death of the scales, and if dying or affected 
specimens could be examined under sufficiently favorable conditions 
the disease germ could possibly be discovered. Xo other explanation 
of the death of the scales offers itself. Varying climatic conditions can 
hardly account for it, since the insect has shown a marked ability to 
thrive under climatic conditions of much greater variability in the East 
than it is ever subjected to on the Pacific Slope. 
The use of contagious insect diseases to destroy important pests of 
the orchard or farm is a very attractive one. and has received much 
attention of late years, but. in spite of the notable claims made for it, 
particularly in the case of the chinch bug, the results so far obtained 
are far from demonstrating the complete practicability of this means of 
control. The subject, however, while still in the experimental stage. 
is one which is worth considering, and if there is any hope of benefit 
in this direction against the San Jose scale, the Eastern orchardists 
should certainly profit by it. We have therefore recently secured, 
through the kindness of Air. John Scott, horticultural commissioner vt' 
Los Angeles County. Cal.. a considerable quantity of dead and dying 
scales supposedly affected with this disease. Air. A. F. Woods has 
conducted a careful examination of the material, at the instance of .Mr. 
Galloway, to whom we referred it, and while the conclusions so far 
reached are not sufficient upon which to base a definite recommenda- 
tion, there seems to be a specific disease which develops both in the 
insect and in its scale covering. We propose to follow up the matter, 
and if further investigation promises any practical outcome t«> take 
steps to introduce and disseminate the disease, if it be such, among 
the infested orchards and nurseries of the Bast. 
