PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
T│ ?། ། 「 ; ། ..............................C.O. 885
23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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With regard to the littoral of South-East Africa, concerning the mosquito fauna, of which we have but little knowledge, Mr. C. P. Lounsbury, Chief Union Entomo- logist, has been good enough to suggest the names of persons who might help us, and to these letters have been written. He has also urged the authorities in Delagoa Bay to communicate with us, and has promised further information after the completion of his present tour round all the South African ports.
•
The West African Yellow Fever Commission recently applied to this Bureau for information with regard to the distribution of mosquitos in British West Africa, and a statement setting forth the locality records for all known species was supplied to them. A good deal of additional material has since been received and a supple- mentary list is in course of preparation.
The valued assistance of Mr. F. W. Edwards, of the British Museum, in the work of identifying these insects must again be acknowledged; and it is now possible for us to determine practically all the commoner West African mosquitoes from the larvæ only, which ought to lighten the work of sanitary officers engaged in mosquito inspection. For this satisfactory state of affairs we are largely indebted to the labours of Drs. A. Ingram and A. C. Connal, of the Gold Coast, and Dr. J. Y. Wood, of Sierra Leone.
The 72 consignments of insects received during the three months contained 31,300 specimens, of which 4,200 were bloodsuckers and about 1,000 were of economic importance in other respects. In the course of the quarter nearly 12,000 specimens of non-economic insects were handed to the British Museum. Of the 35 contributors 29 are resident in tropical Africa, 1 in Egypt, 1 in India, 1 in Ceylon, and 3 in the West Indies.
becoming a The question of the identification of parasitic hymenoptera pressing one, owing to their great importance in the control of injurious insects; but, unfortunately, the number of reliable specialists working at these groups is extremely limited, and they have already more work than they can do. As no member of the British Museum staff is studying these insects, it will be necessary to train one or more of our assistants for this purpose. For the identification of the African Tachinidæ (a very useful family of parasitic flies) we have been fortunate in securing the generous assistance of Dr. Villeneuve, of Rambouillet, who has kindly agreed to name all our material.
It is often a matter of difficulty for entomologists in the Colonies to secure really good reproductions of insects for their publications, and it may therefore be well to mention that the Bureau has already been able to afford assistance in this matter. The drawing and reproduction of several coloured plates have been supervised on behalf of the Egyptian Department of Agriculture, and numerous blocks have been prepared for the Government Entomologist in Trinidad. The Imperial Commis- sioner of Agriculture for the West Indies has asked to be permitted to avail himself of the opportunities offered, and Sir Charles Lukis has sought advice with regard to the entomological illustrations for the new publication of the Indian Research Fund Association.
It may be of interest to record a practical outcome of the mission to the West Indies upon which I was sent by this Committee. I was able to show that the phytalus beetle which was devastating sugar-cane in Mauritius was indigenous in Barbados, and on the larvæ which I brought home a parasite was found. I therefore advised Mr. Bovell, Superintendent of Agriculture in Barbados, to investigate its life- At the history, and he soon showed that it was effectively controlling the beetle. request of the Mauritian Government be consigned to me four wardian cases of These I received in sugar-canes containing specimens of the parasitic wasp. Southampton and arranged for their transhipment to Mauritius. Advice has now been received that living larvæ of the parasite were found in each case and there is every hope that the species may be successfully established in Mauritius.
Salaries
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APPENDIX A.
Estimate of Annual Expenditure on the present basis.
£
B. d.
British Museum
£
s. d. 2,714 0 U
Director, £600; R. Veitch and D. H. Gotch, Entomological Assistants, £150 each; H. Campion, clerk, £150; L. B. Wyatt, Preparator, 22s. 6d.
1,108 10 0
605 10 0
Elvaston Place
W. North, Assistant Editor, £300; R. Corbet, Abstractor, £156; Miss Breen and Miss Meager, typists, 25s. and 17s. 6d.; J. Golledge,. office boy, 15s.
Africa
S. A. Neave and Dr. J. J. Simpson, Travelling Entomologists, £500 each.
Publications, deficit, say
Translations
Library.
Travelling expenses
Elvaston Place Office, rent and upkeep
Camp equipment for Travelling Entomologists Scientific apparatus
General expenses, say
Cast in hand
APPENDIX B.
1,000 0 0
550 100
0
0
75 0
100 0
*00000000
.......
175
0
50 0
50 0
200 0
£4,014 0
0
General Financial Statement as at 30th September, 1913.
£ 3. d. 2 4,205 2
£
s. d.
Colonial Office (East African Protectorates) Imperial Treasury
1,000 0 0
500 0 0
Straits Settlements
50 0 0
Hong Kong
50 0 0
50 0 0
10 0
0
10 0 0
5 0 0
200 0 0
50 0
0
Cash receivable:-
Fiji
Dominica
St. Kitts-Nevis
Antigua
Publications, say Interest
Estimated liabilities for remainder of financial
year:-
Salaries, on the existing scale
Unexpended balance of Carnegie Fund Publications
Elvaston Place Office
Additional office furniture
Library
+
Travelling expenses Translations
General expenses
Balance of Tropical African Fund Estimated balance of Bureau Fund
0
0
0
1,600 0 1,068 16 600 0
90 0 0
70 0 0
50 0
0
50 0 0
50 0 0
OoooobooOOG
100 0 0 1,000 0 0 1,451
6 2
£6,130 2 2 £6,130 2 2
33318
D 2
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APPENDIX C.
Statement of Revenue and Expenditure for the quarter ending 30th September, 1913.
Government Grants:-
Canada
•
India
Ceylon
A.
Mauritius
Interest on deposits
Salaries
Carnegie Scholars
Entomologist in Federated Malay States
Travelling expenses (Dr. J. J. Simpson)
Library
Bulletin of Entomological Research
Translations from Russian
General expenses