PUBLIS
ทหารบ
Reference:
C.O. 885
DE TONEET BAINO FOLEY HUDNIE JON.
PHOTOGRAPHIC-
20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED
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2. The report of the Scientific Secretary was received together with a state- ment of the Committee's financial position as at the 30th of September, 1911 (copy annexed).
Lord Cromer observed that the balance in the hands of the Committee was very satisfactory.
The question of a refund by the Colonies of the cost of entomological outfits for which Mr. Simpson had rendered accounts locally was raised by Mr. Marshall, the Government of Northern Nigeria alone having paid for these outfits up to date. The Committee recommended that an official reminder should be sent to the other Colonies to which Mr. Simpson and Mr. Neave had rendered accounts.
Dr. Shipley suggested that arrangements should be made for the Carnegie scholars to visit Hawaii, which might be described as a model station for entomo- logical investigation. Mr. Scott and Professor Poulton spoke in favour of the proposal, remarking that it would have the special advantage of enabling the scholars to become acquainted with entomological research as carried on under tropical conditions as well as under the temperate conditions of the United States. It was decided that Mr. Marshall should communicate with Dr. Howard on the subject and ascertain whether the scholars could visit Hawaii without interfering with the work already arranged for them.
Mr. Parkinson explained that the reason why only one reply had been received so far from the self-governing Dominions on the subject of the proposals submitted to them by the Colonial Office was that the Secretary of State's despatch was not written until the 6th of September, and that there had not therefore been time for replies to be received.
3. A report of the Chairman of Sub-Committee B was received, submitting recommendations as to the replies which should be returned to the West Indian and Eastern Colonies that had expressed their willingness to co-operate with the Com- mittee. (Copy of the report annexed.)
The Committee approved generally of the lines on which it was proposed to reply to these Colonies. The suggestion put forward by the Federated Malay States, viz., that the Committee should send out an officer to study in the field the life and habits and habitat of the ticks and insects of the country, on the understand- ing that the expense (estimated at about £600) should be borne equally by the Com- mittee and the Federated Malay States, was discussed at length. It was pointed out that the Federated Malay States already employ an entomologist, but Mr. Marshall explained that this officer is engaged on the agricultural side of the work, and that what they now required was an expert to work up the insects of importance from a medical and veterinary standpoint.
Dr. Shipley stated that he was in favour of the proposal, and Mr. Marshall also gave it his support. It was suggested that, possibly, the Federated Malay States should pay the whole cost, but the general feeling of the Committee was that it would be wiser to accept the suggestion of the Federated Malay States Govern- ment as it stood, so as to make sure of carrying out a valuable piece of work, and of showing that the Committee were in earnest in their desire for co-operation. There was a good balance from which to meet the expense (about £300, so far as the Committee were concerned), and should other similar applications be made, the Com- mittee were not bound to entertain them, if circumstances generally or the state of its finances did not appear to warrant their doing so. In view of the fact that it was the Secretary of State who (on the recommendation of the Committee) had suggested to the West Indian and Eastern Colonies that they should co-operate with the Com- mittee, there need be no hesitation in expending a portion of the Committee's funds on an entomologist for the Federated Malay States. In these circumstances Lord Cromer expressed the opinion that the Committee would do well to carry out this investigation on the lines proposed, and it was decided that the offer of the Federated Malay States should be accepted; that the Selection Sub-Committee should endeavour to obtain a suitable man before the next meeting of the Committee, and that Colonel Alcock's name should be added to the Selection Sub-Committee.
4. A report was read by Mr. Marshall, in the absence of Sir John McFadyean, on the replies received to the interrogatories distributed through the African Colonies for the purpose of eliciting information as to the habits and distribution of tsetse-flies. (Copy of report annexed.)
Of the alternative methods suggested for dealing with these replies, the Com- mittee decided that the smaller scheme would sufficiently meet requirements, i.e., to
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publish as an extra issue of the "Bulletin " such observations or suggestions con- tained in the reports as may seem worth recording, together with a brief discussion of their bearing upon the various problems which need elucidation.
5. A copy of the Secretary of State's despatch of the 6th of September* to the self-governing Dominions was circulated for the information of the Committee.
Dr. Shipley stated that Dr. Gordon Hewitt would shortly be in England and was anxious to talk over the Committee's proposals. It was agreed that, on his arrival, an informal meeting should be arranged between him and Sub-Committee B.
Annexure 1 to No. 103.
REPORT OF THE SCIENTIFIC SECRETARY.
It was hoped that it might have been possible to lay before this meeting some of the replies from the self-governing Dominions and Colonies in response to the proposals made to them by this Committee through the Colonial Office; but our Secretary, Mr. A. C. C. Parkinson, reports that only a single answer has been received so far to the circular despatch issued by the Secretary of State, namely, from the Government of Newfoundland. This report, however, is entirely favour- able to the suggestions of the Committee. In connection with this matter, a letter has been received by myself from Mr. W. W. Froggatt, Entomologist for New South Wales, expressing his approval of the general principle of co-operative action and offering to assist the Committee in any way that might be possible.
In the tropical African Colonies the interest in entomological work seems to be satisfactorily maintained, and during the past quarter consignments have been sent in by 25 different contributors. These collections contained 3,600 blood- sucking insects and 600 ticks, while the non-economic insects amounted to 32,000. This unusually large number is principally due to the receipt of two large general collections of insects sent by Mr. Neave from the East Africa Protectorate. In consequence of this, no less than 27,000 insects have been handed over to the National Collection during this quarter alone; and a further consignment of some thousands of specimens has been received during the present month.
Thanks to the energetic and skilful assistance of Mr. J. J. Simpson, our Travelling Entomologist, who has been working in the office for some weeks past, considerable headway has been made lately in sorting, naming and recording the accumulated material of blood-sucking flies. It is hoped that, by the termination of his time, it will be possible not only to bring this work right up to date, but also to sort out all the surplus material into named collections suitable for distribution. A statement has been circulated showing our general financial position, upon which it is estimated that at the end of the financial year there will be an available reserve balance of over £1,300. A statement has also been distributed showing the payments and receipts for the past quarter, being a summary of our account current with the Crown Agents, the original of which is laid on the table.
In this latter statement attention may be called to the item of £16 received from the Government of Northern Nigeria for collecting outfits, this Colony being the only one that has paid for the outfits distributed locally by Messrs. Neave and Simpson. Accounts for this apparatus were rendered to the local Governments by these entomologists, and the Committee is asked for instructions as to whether they The total amount desire to press for payment from the remaining Colonies. involved would probably be about £150.
The smallness of the payment for publications is due to the fact that the account for printing Part 2 of the "Bulletin is not included, having only just been received. This item amounts to £57; the total cost of the part with illustrations and authors' copies being £84. It is impossible to give any account of the financial position of the "Bulletin in this report, as according to the arrangement made with our agents, Messrs. Dulan and Company, their first half-yearly statement will not be rendered until after the end of December.
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• No. 96.