( 2 ) 
Prof. Roland Trimen, F.R.S., Curator of the South 
African Museum, mentions, in his Report of 1877, that 
he “ first saw the Australian Bug in the Botanic Garden 
at Cape Town in the latter half of 1873, and collected 
the few larger ones in the small clusters observed, 
which did not consist of more than twenty individuals V ;* 
and further notes that a few days subsequently several 
specimens were shown to him from a garden at Clare¬ 
mont, with the mention that they were “ entirely new ” 
to the observer, and “ appeared to be multiplying. They 
were found upon young black-wood trees ” [Acacia sp., 
E. A. 0.] “obtained from the Botanic Gardens. In the 
course of a few months the insect increased prodigiously 
in number.” ... “ The insect gradually extended 
its range into all the suburbs of the town, and every¬ 
where exhibited its unmistakable partiality for Australian 
plants,” although at the date of writing (Feb. 5th, 1877) 
Prof. Trimen notes that it had “ effected a lodgment on 
many others.” 
At this date it was stated, by Mr. S. D. Bairstow, of 
Port Elizabeth, President of the East Province Naturalists’ 
Society (in observations sent to me by him in 1886 regard¬ 
ing the history and natural enemies of this pest), that the 
insect had spread to such an extent “ in all parts of the 
4 Eastern Province ’ of Cape Colony ” as to give rise to 
an application, on the part of the resident horticulturists 
and agriculturists, to Prof. Trimen, Curator of the South 
African Museum, for information as to the nature and 
habits of this destructive pest, in reply to which request 
the Report quoted above was prepared. 
The widespread ravages, and the dread of their 
increase, may be inferred from the mention “ that 
municipalities drew up local laws empowering agents to 
enter private or public gardens and there destroy” in¬ 
fested trees, without regard to their value; and at the date 
of writing the attack had continued its onward march. 
* “ See Report by the Curator of the South African Museum on the 
insect of the family Coccidcs, commonly known as the Australian Bug.” 
Government notice (Blue Book), No. 113, 1877. 
