314 ' QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JouRNAL. [1 Aprir, 1898. 
Remepirs.—(1.) By means of the cane or scrub knife cut off at the roots 
all plants which it may be concluded, by direct observation, support the cater- 
‘pillars, or moths in their immature state, or that may be identified with food 
plants from the descriptions previously given (pp. 31U and 311), and growing in 
scrubs or on rock banks in the vicinity of orange orchards, and destroy at the 
same time whatever caterpillars or chrysalises may be thus encountered. 
(2.) Where it is practicable, and economically justifiable, destroy the 
entire woody vegetation where such food plants may be expected to exist. 
(3.) Remove all brushwood from the vicinity of orange orchards, that 
the moths may have little or no harbouring places in the intervals between 
their nocturnal visitations. 
(4.) Afford, if practicable, a counter-attraction; and capture or net the 
moths thus diverted from pursuing their destructive work. They are 
especially partial to highly flavoured bananas of the Cavendish type. Thus, 
suffer to remain on one or two of the latter plants, if growing conveniently, 
as many bunches; till the over-ripe fruit drops to the ground. Or, preferably, 
hang in places that can be conveniently visited, wrapped in calico, small 
bundles containing similarly conditioned fruit of this description—five or six 
bananas in each. These to be nightly visited with lantern and net in hand, when 
the not readily disturbed Orange Moths amongst others may be captured. 
(5.) Poison the moths by impregnating the bananas with a syrup contain- 
ing a small proportion of arsenite of potash made by boiling equal weights of 
white arsenic (arsenious acid) and bicarbonate of potash in water. Sixty- 
four grains of each of the chemicals named to 4 0z. of water form convenient 
proportions for the manufacture of the poison. 
It must, however, be borne in mind that the best results may be obtained 
by beginning operations long before the season for oranges commences. From 
what has been already stated (vid. p. 311) the early broods of the insect—viz., 
those that occur before the end of December—are comparatively small, but 
from them arise, by accessions with the birth of each successive brood, the very 
Jarge numbers that visit orangeries notorious for injury to their fruit of the 
nature described. 
_ Hisrortcan.—The subjoined statement, since it serves to show the part 
played by one of Queensland’s pioneer and ablest scientific workers in eluci- 
dating the facts narrated, and also bears upon the subject dealt with, may be 
not altogether devoid of interest to those who may feel induced to further 
prosecute this inquiry. 
The fact that one of the moths mentioned—viz., Ophideres fullonica— 
injured oranges in the manner described was discovered as early as 1869 by 
A. Thozet, a French botanist resident at Rockhampton, and recorded by him 
in the Rockhampton Bulletin of that year. In 1871 he further made this 
known to Mons. J. Kiinckel d’Herculais, assistant naturalist at the Paris 
Museum of Natural History, accompanying his statement with illustrative 
examples of the insect concerned. Again, in May, 1875, the destructive réle 
enacted by these insects was again enlarged upon by A. Thozet in a com- 
munication over the signature ‘‘ Pomona,” appearing in the Rockhampton 
Bulletin of — May and the Capricornian of 8th May. 
The well-known Queensland lepidopterist, W. H. Miskin, disputed this 
finding in a letter “ On Insect Enemies of the Orange,” printed in the Queens. 
lander of 22nd May, 1875. ‘To this ‘“ Pomona”’ furnished an able reply, dated 
10th June, 1875, that appeared in the Rockhampton Bulletin of that month. 
This controversy between A. Thozet and W. H. Miskin, in 1875, having 
been in due course brought under notice of d’Herculais, he was now induced 
to again consider the former’s allegations, and, as part of his inquiry, to 
examine the proboscis or sucking organ of the wand to which it referred. 
Phis renewed investigation on his part then brought to light the marvellous 
and exceptional structure that it exhibited, and that seemed to answer so well 
