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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 885
20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
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Africa and four months' leave in every two years; on leave he will receive full pay for three months and three-quarter pay for one month; during the voyage out half-pay will be given. In the case of Mr. Simpson the terms of the appoint- ment are similar except as regards leave, in respect of which he will be subject to the ordinary leave regulations obtaining for Colonial officials in West Africa. The local Colonial Governments will supply free transport in Africa and also a certain amount of camp equipment; but as we understand that the latter will be inadequate in several important particulars, it was decided that each Entomologist should be authorised to expend a sum not exceeding £30 in the purchase of further requisites. This expenditure will be duly supervised.
Mr. Neave has made definite arrangements to leave England on the 30th December. If the Committee concurs, he proposes to proceed to Nyasaland in the first instance, thereafter traversing the East Africa Protectorate and Uganda, and returning home by the Nile, in order that he may have an opportunity of visiting Khartum and Cairo and conferring with various experts in those localities. It is hoped that Mr. Simpson will be able to start on the 15th of December. He will go direct to Lagos where he will seek the advice of Dr. Graham as to the best methods of prosecuting his work in Nigeria, proceeding thence in succession to the Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia.
The Travelling Entomologists have been instructed to confine themselves princi- pally to the blood-sucking arthropods which carry animal diseases, and the import- ance of working in absolute harmony with the local Government Entomologists has been impressed upon them.
A special sub-committee has been appointed to draw up leaflets giving precise and simple instructions for the collection and preservation of various noxious insects; these are still in course of preparation, but are nearly completed.
Another special sub-committee was deputed to draw up a list of those institu- tions to which named specimens should be distributed in order of preference. This has already been prepared and approved.
The question of the remuneration of specialists for the work of identifying insects has been discussed, but it was found that there were insuperable difficulties in the way of laying down any hard and fast regulations on the subject. It was therefore decided that each case should be dealt with on its merits after having been reported upon by the Scientific Secretary.
A sum of £50 has been entrusted to the Scientific Secretary to meet preliminary expenses and for the purchase of office requisites, entomological apparatus, and so forth.
It may be permissible to mention that the appointment of our Committee has been very favourably received by the Press, and special attention may be called to an article in the "Lancet" of September the 18th, in which the useful work done by two of our members, Mr. E. E. Austen and Mr. F. V. Theobald, and published by the Trustees of the British Museum, has been particularly noticed.
Annexure 2 to No. 38.
REPORT OF The Chairman OF SUB-COMMITTEE B. Sub-Committee B has met once since the first meeting of the Committee. Satisfactory progress has been made in working out the details of organisation on the lines laid down at the General Meeting, held on 15th July, 1909.
The Sub-Committee recognises that, for the moment, the human and veterinary aspects of the work of the Committee outweigh in importance the purely agricul tural aspect. It has, therefore, endeavoured to adapt itself, as far as is possible, to the proposals submitted by Sub-Committee A.
It appreciates the terms in which the authorities of the British Museum have responded to the request for co-operation made by the Committee. Since, how ever, the Museum is not in a position to afford assistance in regard to the mounting and labelling of specimens, the Sub-Committee has to point out that in all pro- bability it will be necessary to engage a qualified subordinate to undertake this duty. It, therefore, recommends that the Scientific Secretary be authorised when the matter becomes urgent to make recommendations to the Committee as to a suitable nominee and an appropriate salary.
The Sub-Committee has expressed its entire concurrence with Sub-Committee A in respect of the general instructions recommended for issue to Mr. S. A. Neave,
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authorising him to collect in East Africa such noxious insects and other organisms of economic importance as he may meet with.
The Schools of Tropical Medicine of London and of Liverpool, the Quick Laboratory at Cambridge, and the British Museum having intimated their readiness to afford instruction in economic entomology to officers working under the orders of the Committee, Mr. Neave and Mr. Simpson have been authorised to pay a series of short visits to these various institutions prior to their departure from this country.
The Sub-Committee has recommended that a circular letter be addressed to the Government Entomologists in the various colonies and protectorates of Tropical Africa asking for reports on such diseases of plants and crops, within their respec- tive districts, as are believed to be of insect origin, such reports to be in each case accompanied by specimens.
The Scientific Secretary has undertaken to draw up brief instructions for collectors with regard to the collection, preservation, and transmission of material; and the Sub-Committee has associated itself with Sub-Committee A in recommend- ing that the Scientific Secretary be authorised to expend a sum not exceeding £50 in procuring the material required in carrying out his duties.
Annexure 3 to No. 38.
REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN of Sub-Committee C.
The Publications Sub-Committee has met once since the last General Meeting of the Committee.
It has been decided that the Committee's journal be entitled the “Bulletin of Entomological Research issued by the African Entomological Research Committee of the Colonial Office," and that it should be medium octavo in size. The Sub- Committee considers that the Bulletin should be published at irregular intervals, which will be determined by the amount of materials at the disposal of the Com- mittee.
The Bulletin should, in the opinion of the Sub-Committee, be devoted mainly to the description and illustration of new species of African insects of economic importance, to papers on their bionomics (ie., habits, life histories, and distribu- tion), to concise accounts of collections of African insects of economic importance sent in by the Committee's Travelling Entomologists and others, to papers by the Travelling Entomologists and others on the ravages caused by insects among human beings, animals, and crops, and on practical remedies, natural or otherwise, and to reports by the Travelling Entomologists on their expeditions and investigations generally. It is thought desirable to include also short notices of papers published elsewhere, so far as they have an important bearing on the objects of the Committee. The Scientific Secretary will edit the Bulletin, consulting the Chairman of the Sub-Committee as to the material that should be published; and, if suitable arrange- ments can be made, the Sub-Committee considers that it is desirable to accept advertisements.
The Sub-Committee suggests that the Committee should confer upon it powers to publish any matter which it may consider suitable, and to expend a sum during the first year not exceeding £360.
A Special Sub-Committee, consisting of Dr. Harmer, Mr. Austen, Dr. Bagshawe, and Mr. Marshall, has been appointed to consider the size of the edition and the selection of a publisher and agent.
Annexure 4 to No. 38.
REPORT OF THE SCIENTIFIC SECRETARY.
Owing to the structural alterations, re-painting, &c., which have been in pro- gress for some time past in the Insect Department of the British Museum, it has been impossible as yet to get the office arrangements of the Committee into satisfactory working order. But it is hoped that the room which the authorities of the Museum