FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
33 
Caloosahatchie river on the south. The 
species is probably native to Florida as 
specimens in small numbers were observ¬ 
ed about the hammocks and elsewhere as 
long as fifty years ago. Its habit of feed¬ 
ing on the sooty mold of the orange, how¬ 
ever, was not known until within the 
past two years. 
In view of the fondness of the snails 
for the injurious sooty mold fungus, it 
becomes of first importance to observe 
their treatment of the beneficial fungi. 
Among the fungi parasitic on orange in¬ 
sects there are four species of inestimable 
value to orange growers. These are, the 
brown fungus well known as an effective 
parasite on the white fly larvae; the 
red-pink fungus also parasitic on the 
white fly; the red fungus, and the gray 
headed fungus, both parasitic on the 
common scales. The brown fungus so 
effective in control of the white fly, as is 
well-known, throws out spreading hyphae 
for some distance around the body of the 
dead leaves. It seems that the snails oc¬ 
casionally feed to a limited extent on 
these, spreading hyphae but evidently not 
enough to interfere with the spread of the 
fungus, since this fungus is doing particu¬ 
larly effective work in the groves in the 
Manatee region where the snails occur. 
The red-pink fungus is also abundant 
in the groves where the snails occur 
and is untouched by them. The snails 
have not been observed to feed on either 
the red or the gray fungi parasitic on the 
common orange scales, and it is probable 
that they have no taste for these parasitic 
fungi. Colonies of the snails are being 
started in part of the State where the 
white fly injury is severe and where condi¬ 
tions seem favorable for the growth of 
the snail. It is desirable that close atten¬ 
tion be given to the habits of the snail, 
as well as to means of protecting colonies 
against unfavorable conditions. A few 
sacks thrown around the tree seem to 
afford a needed protection against unus¬ 
ual cold. It is probable that sprays can 
not be used on trees stocked with the 
snails without injury to the colony, for, 
although protected by the shell from the 
immediate effect, sufficient spray probably 
clings to the sooty mold on which they 
feed to destroy them. The beneficial par¬ 
asitic fungi and the snails may be allowed 
to work together on unsprayed trees. 
The snail is here spoken of as the Mana¬ 
tee snail since while recorded as occurring 
in other parts of the State it was found 
working on the orange groves first in the 
Manatee region. 
