THE GEELONG NATURALIST, 5 
juice, while their antennz are constantly on the move. While 
feeding, the phylloxera will raise the whole weight of its 
body, balancing it on its trunk as if using all its weight to 
pierce deeper into the rootlet. When apparently satisfied, or 
travelling to new grounds, it carries its proboscis close up 
to its body like the Cicade. From November to January I 
could see little difference in colour. The size had, however, 
increased, and the wings began to appear; by the middle of 
February the wing had attained its fulllength. The wing is 
remarkable for its delicacy and beauty, but is too short to 
enable the insect to fly far and as for sailing against the 
wind it is quite impossible. The eyes are pink in the 
young insect, but become red when they have attained their 
full age; they have no eyelid or film to protect them. 
The presence of Phylloxera is known by the swellings on 
the rootlets of the vine, and also by the colour ofthe leaves, 
which become yellow and dry in the centre first—just the 
` opposite to the usual course of nature. 
That it can be cured as easily as other blights cannot be 
doubted, and I fee! justified in stating that after a long series 
of experiments I have succeeded in destroying it with a pre- 
paration which at the same time nourishes the vine. Besides 
the Phylloxera, the vine has other enemies, as the ‘ Black 
Spot," which is a fungus, and attacks the fruit. Oidium is 
another fungus, which spreads rapidly. Like many other 
disease germs, these float in the air till they find a suitable 
place to rest. The plant bug, too, attacks the fruit and 
gives it a shrivelled appearance. He is very dainty and 
active, and on the slightest alarm he escapes. 
'The Red Spider is another enemy, but the most formid- 
able is the Phylloxera, which multiplies so rapidly that the 
mindcannot grasp the numbers produced in a single season. 
I hope the day is not far distant when I shall be able to prove 
on a large scale that this pest can be cured. If, in this humble 
way, I can be of some service to my fellow men, my efforts 
will not have been vain, J. Gooprzr. 
ANNUAL EXCURSION. 
As the excursion organised last year on the Queen's Birthday proved 
so successful, it was resolved to observe that date in future for the 
Club’s Annual Excursion. Accordingly, Anglesea was the locality 
selected to be visited this year, and at a few minutes past 6 a.m. 
the coach conveying the party left the appointed meeting-place 
without the least ceremony, in fact there was so little fuss and 
bustle that one might easily have regarded the event as an ordinary 
coach departure for one of the seaside resorts. 
