y THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
s 
» 
respect the name of the former was familiar to Australian 
Coleopterists, as a number of our native species were described 
by him. The professor was, at the time of his death (No- 
vember 2nd, 1909), President of the Entomological Society of 
Germany. Dr. Ludwig Koch is better known to Australian 
naturalists as the author of the ponderous monograph, “‘Die 
Arachniden des. Australiens,’” a work comprised in two 
volumes of letterpress and one of plates, and containing de- 
scriptions and delineations of a vast number of Australian 
spiders. Owing to ophthalmic troubles the distinguished au- 
thor was compelled to retire from the active pursuit of his 
studies, and the concluding part of vol. ii., of the work just 
quoted, had to be taken in hand by Count von Kerserling. 
Some time after the completion of ‘‘Die Arachmiden des 
Australians, a fourth, or supplementary, volume was issued, 
consisting of text and plate, and this was also undertaken by 
the Count on behalf of the unfortunate (and now blind) Dr. 
Kcch. In addition to the monograph referred to above, Dr 
Ludwig Koch was author of several other monographs and 
quite a number of smaller memoirs published in the journals 
of continental learned societies. The death is also 
announced of Mr. Alexander Agassiz, the well-known 
naturalist, aged 74 years. The deceased gentleman 
was the son of the more celebrated Professor Louis 
Agassiz. Alexander accompanied his father to the United 
States from Europe, in childhood, and was educated at Har- 
vard University. His bent was towards natural history, and 
at an early age he devoted himself to a study of sea forms, 
although for a period he was superintendent of the Calumet 
and Hecla Copper mines, Lake Superior. He was engaged in 
the United States coast survey, and subsequently became cur- 
ator of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, at Harvard. Mr. 
Agassiz conducted explorations of the coral reefs of the Ha- 
waiian Islands, 1899, of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia 
in 1898, and of the Fiji Islands in 1897. And among deep sea 
explorations were those of the Panamic region and of the tro- 
pical Pacific. He published a number of memoirs on coral 
reefs, Acalephs, worms, fishes, etc. 
Tue Corrony-Cusuion Scate.—This insect (Icerya pur- 
chast, Mask.), which fortunately is not a pest with us in Aus- 
tralia—its home—has now made its appearance in the Eastern 
Mediterranean region. The invasion of this Coccid is dreaded 
everywhere. In Australia natural enemies have succeeded in 
keeping it in check, but in those countries having an equable 
climate, where it has made its home, it has gained an unen- 
viable reputation. Some years ago, having been accidentally 
