ground in these localities, constructing a nest among the dead leaves at the foot of a small tree. The food of this species consists of insects and their

larvæ.

62. EOPSALTRIA AUSTRALIS, Latham. "Yellow-breasted Robin." Eopsaltria australis, Gould, Birds of Austr., fol. ed., Vol. III, pl. 11 (1848); North, Nests and Eggs, Austr. Bds., p. 108 (1889).

This resident and well-known species is freely distributed over the greater portion of eastern New South Wales. It is very common in the scrubs near the coast, and is equally plentiful in the damp and humid gullies of our heavily-timbered mountain ranges inland. Probably there is no more familiar or useful bird to the orchardist and viticulturist, for being of a tame and fearless disposition, it readily enters into orchards and vineyards in search of insects and their larvæ, which constitute its food. Near Sydney this species is one of the first to breed, commencing early in July and continuing until the end of December, during which time two or more broods are reared. The nest, which is usually placed in the fork of a low tree, is a round cup-shaped structure, composed of strips of bark and fibrous roots, bound round and held together with cobwebs, the outside and rim being beautifully ornamented with lichen and pieces of bark attached by means of cobweb, and which hang perpendicularly around the nest. It is lined inside with wiry grasses, and generally has a few dried Eucalyptus leaves at the bottom. Eggs, two or three in number for a sitting, of a bright apple or bluish-green ground colour, freckled and spotted all over with different shades of reddish and chestnut-brown. In some instances these markings predominate towards the thicker end, and becoming confluent, form a welldefined zone; length, 0·83 x 0.62 inch.

63. PECILODRYAS CAPITO, Gould. "Large-headed Robin," "White-lored

Robin."

Eopsaltria capito, Gould, Birds of Austr. Suppl., pl. 17 (1869); North, Nests and Eggs, Austr. Bds., p. 109 (1889).

This species frequents the rich brushes that clothe the sides of the northern coastal rivers, its range extending as far south as the neighbourhood of the Bellinger River. Although by no means an uncommon bird in this portion of the Colony, it is never met with elsewhere in New South Wales. The nest, which is usually built in a low tree, is a deep cup-shaped structure, composed of the dead leaves of the "lawyer-vine" (Calamus australis), held together with a few wiry grass-stems, the exterior being covered with mosses and a few pieces of lichen. Eggs, two in number for a sitting, of a dull greenish-white ground colour, indistinctly marked with yellowish and reddish brown, particularly towards the larger end; length, 0.8 x 0.6 inch.

(To le continued.)

Notes on Insect Friends and Foes.

BY CLAUDE FULLER,

Assistant Entomologist, N.S.W. Department of Agriculture.

Ir has been the custom to discuss in the pages of the Gazette insects of economic interest which may from time to time be forwarded to the Department for identification. The advantages of such a course are many. Anyone reading these notes and recognising the insects mentioned in them may be able to prevent the spread of a destructive species, save a beneficial insect from being destroyed, or add to the usefulness of this branch of the Department's work by sending in specimens of new pests, and communicating upon species recorded, as well as on measures remedial and preventive, which have been found successful in combating the more established evils. As far as possible specimens should always accompany any correspondence, together with some of the plant or material upon which they feed. Whenever practicable insects should be sent alive, especially in their earlier stages, which should have sufficient food placed with them to keep them alive, and give them foothold during the journey. If sent through the post, tins should always be used for packing, as match and card-board boxes almost invariably arrive broken, and the contents, if not lost, crushed, sometimes beyond recognition.

For the purpose of forwarding specimens, labels may be obtained upon application to the Department, which will carry the packages through the post free of charge.

Army-worms on the Hunter and Richmond Rivers.

A very severe attack of army-worms has been reported from the northern rivers, of which I have received specimens from Mr. W. Muston, of Karuah, and Mr. E. Seccombe, of Wollongbar, on the Richmond. The species were identical in both instances, but so far efforts to rear the adult moth have been unsuccessful, owing to the parasitized nature of the caterpillars sent. The caterpillars are of a dense black colour with shining heads; along each side are three narrow yellow lines and one broad yellow band; beneath they are of a greenish-yellow tinge, and when full grown measure about 1 inches in length.

Writing of their appearance on the Hunter (30th March, 1896), Mr. Muston says: "When the larvæ has fully matured, it apparently (from observation) gives birth to several small larvæ, which immediately start to protect_themselves in a cocoon, and then lie dormant in bundles upon blades of grass . it seems to me that only a small percentage of the caterpillars give birth to these tiny larvæ." . Mr. Muston sent specimens of the cocoons found upon blades of grass, and they are undoubtedly those of a small wasp-parasite (Apanteles, sp.) The mother wasp lays its eggs within or on

the body of the caterpillars, and the young maggots which hatch from them feed internally upon the juices, but do not kill them until they themselves are full-grown, when they leave by gnawing their way through the skin of their host.

In a later communication (25th April, 1896), Mr. Muston writes: "The pest disappeared almost as suddenly as they came. The parasite wasp appeared in great numbers, and I have some good specimens, also some of the moth, but I noticed that not 50 per cent. of the pupa developed into the perfect stage-they seem to have been unable to cast off their shell. About the places where the small wasp appeared a larger reddish wasp or ichneumon is now appearing in great numbers. I am forwarding specimens of these. The caterpillars first appeared in great numbers in sorghum, thence travelling over grass paddocks and on to other cultivated crops, leaving the land behind them as bare as though a fire had been over it, crossing creeks and paling fences in their path, and at times lying on the ground 2 inches thick. In a short time the small parasite appeared. Pupa were dug up from ground over which the plague had passed. Then followed the total disappearance of the caterpillars; they appear to have travelled from here in a westerly direction, and I think finally died right out. No preventive measures were tried, but where the poultry got at them they cleared them up pretty well."

The Outbreak on the Richmond River.

Specimens were received upon April the 24th, from Mr. Seccombe, with the following note:-"Specimens of caterpillars now eating all before them. They are supposed to have originated from eggs that fell like a fog some days before. A foggy haze spread over the district in a strange manner. Eggs by millions were noticed in several instances on white clothing. Many thought it was dust. The hatching in some instances commenced in three days, and is still going on. First noticed upon warm easterly aspects; they now appear all over the belts. Wind light south to south-west. Pest advancing in heaps, leaving ground bare."

In a later (28th April) communication, Mr. Seccombe says, "The armyworm is still devastating pasture, oats, cane, &c. Since forwarding specimens, they have appeared in all parts of the district, some properties being left nearly bare of herbage. With me they rapidly swept off 30 acres of splendid cocksfoot grass, and are now worrying buffalo and half-dried summer grass. They (the caterpillars) hatched out first in greatest numbers on high ground, having an easterly or north-easterly aspect. On south and south-westerly aspects they have appeared slowly and in no great quantities. They appear to have no given line for travelling, simply wander around and follow the food. They camp down in heaps early in the evening and rest all night, not moving till the sun is warm. I have now an army of birds working at them, principally leatherheads, magpies, laughing jackass, and peewees."

Mr. Seccombe adds that the army-worm, when well developed, will cover from 50 feet to 80 feet of new ground per day. He also sends a number of small wasp cocoons from stems of grass where the worms have matured. Writing to me upon the pests, Mr. G. M. McKeown, manager of the Government Experiment Farm at Wollongbar, regards the pest as being in the district before the "haze" spoken of by Mr. Seccombe, and as far as he can learn, those who caught any of the fall which followed it report it to be simply "red dust." Upon the farm they only appeared in a small patch of barley and rye. Regarding the attack Mr. McKeown says he confined them to the area by running a deep furrow round it, throwing the soil inwards so

as to leave a vertical face on the opposite side, which they could not climb. Afterwards it was thought advisable to plough the crop under, which “made an end of them."

Judging from the habit of "camping down in heaps," noticed by Mr. Seccombe in his second communication, I should think that no better opportunity could occur for destroying large numbers of the pest, which could be easily managed by running the farm roller over them once or twice.

In suggesting other remedial measures, it must be pointed out that it is only by a long acquaintance and study of the habits of the particular species to be contended with that these pests can be fought. As, therefore, armyworms have received very little, if any, attention in this country, the following suggestions are offered, which have been given for similar forms of insect-attack in other countries :

1. Early-fall ploughing. By this means many young caterpillars are starved to death. Late ploughing gives them time to pupate or to mature sufficiently to pass the winter in a hibernating condition, and so to commence their depredations in the early spring.

2. Where a single crop is attacked, and it is desirable to save neighbouring ones, much good has resulted by confining the caterpillars to the affected crop, and then turning in pigs and poultry to destroy them. As the grubs experience great difficulty in getting across newly-ploughed ground, they are best imprisoned by ploughing all around the field, commencing from the outer edge and working towards the centre.

3. Threatened fields have been saved by surrounding them with ditches, or by digging trenches across the line of march of the worms. These trenches should have the side facing their approach perpendicular, and the insects should be destroyed as soon as they accumulate by crushing them. Firing belts across their route, when practicable might also have good results.

The Cherry-tree Borer.

Mr. J. Treacy, of Hill Side, Wagga Wagga, forwards specimens of a boring grub which is the cause of much damage to his cherry-trees. These speci mens proved to be the larvae of the cherry-tree borer Chryptopasa unipunctata, Don., which has been known as a pest to the cherry and other fruit-trees for many years past. It is an indigenous insect, and has found its way from the native wattle-trees to our cultivated fruits. It is very destructive in its effects, and its presence upon a fruit-tree is always indicated by the accumulation of sawdust-like excreta, which it gathers and webs about the entrance to its tunnel. The adult moth is about 2 inches across the expanded wings, the body being about 1 inch in length. In colour it is white or greyish, and shining. The fore-wings, which are lighter in colour than the hinder pair, are ornamented with a single black spot in the centre of each.

Remedies.

1. Remove all wattle-trees in neighbourhood of infested orchards. 2. Clear away the sawdust-like matter and inject kerosene oil or turpentine into the holes, either by means of a sewing-machine oil-can, in cases where the attack is slight, or by a knapsack spray-pump, where the area to be gone over is large. Another plan that has been recommended is to imprison the grub by driving small sticks, soaked in a mixture of tar and carbolic acid in the proportion of three parts of tar to one part of carbolic acid, into

the holes.

A Lucerne Pest.*

Mr. H. Smart, of the Department of Agriculture, has drawn my attention to the fact that a great many of the lucerne paddocks in the Hunter River District are suffering from some insect, which causes a serious shrinkage in the total weight of the annual cuts. From a small quantity of material submitted to me, the mischief-maker appears to be a small microlepidopteron, the larvae of which feed upon the young lucerne leaves, and spin their webs amongst the terminal buds. I have also succeeded in rearing a wasp parasite from these caterpillars. Further specimens and observations upon this pest are desired.

An Orange Pest.

Specimens of a plant-bug (Rhynchocoris, sp.), have been forwarded for identification by Mr. L. Sharp, of Barraba, and Mr. W. R. Holcombe, of Wee Waa. This insect lives upon the juices of growing citrus fruits, and causes great numbers to fall before they ripen. It is a light-green colour, and about three-quarters of an inch in length, having two robust and sharp spines, one on each side of the thorax.

The eggs, which resemble fair-sized glass-beads, are laid upon the leaves of the orange. As soon as the young bugs hatch out, they start active operations. They are furnished with legs, horns (antennæ), and a rostrum or sucker like their parents, which they resemble very much in general appearance and colour, differing only in size and the absence of wings. As they grow, two lobes form upon the back, and these contain the future wings of the adult insect; this stage is called the "nymph," and takes the place of the quiescent or inactive pupal stage of butterflies and moths. In all the stages of their existence they feed in the same manner by piercing the rind of the fruits with their peculiar beaks, and pumping up the juices from it. The perfect insects can fly well, and are particularly active in the warmth of the sunlight, being, however, slow and sluggish in the cool of the early morning-a condition which applies to insects in general. They pass the winter hibernating amongst rubbish.

Remedies. Clean culture, so as to leave no place for the insects to winter in. When they appear in spring, shake them from the trees in the early morning whilst they are torpid, and destroy them.

The washes and poisonous sprays which are effectual when used against many other pests, are quite useless in the case of hard-bodied suctorial insects such as these.

Cottony Cushion Scale at Richmond.

We have received the following note upon the above insects from Mr. C. T. Musson, of the Hawkesbury Agricultural College, Richmond. "The Cottony cushion scale (Icerya Purchasi, Maskell) has appeared in Richmond, on rose bushes. Mr. C. Lawson brought in some hundreds for identification. It is also, we hear, present in isolated places in the citrus orchards along the Kurrajong slopes. Growers owe it as a duty to themselves and to the country to see that this pest is stamped out before it becomes the curse it will, unless energetic measures are at once put in force.

66

The insect which has been reported as doing much damage to lucerne in South Australia is a small insect commonly known as spring-tail or "flea-beetle (Smynthurus, sp.) These small creatures belong to the order hysanura, which also includes the well-known "silver-fish." They are found nearly everywhere, but I am not aware that they are prevalent on the Hunter River.-C.F.