349
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TITLLI 885/26
mwimmin
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
140
The Chairman thought that the Director's report showed a very satisfactory record of progress; the practical steps taken in connexion with the supply of parasites to New Zealand were particularly gratifying.
Sir S. Harmer expressed great satisfaction with Mr. Swynnerton's report: he had always been opposed to schemes for the extermination of big game in Africa, and the evidence now furnished by Mr. Swynnerton was most valuable for meeting objections to the protection of the larger, mammals in Africa based on the argument that if the animals were destroyed, the tsetse-fly would be unable to exist.
Sir H. Read suggested that in view of the improved financial position of the Gold Coast, work on lines similar to that now being carried on in Nigeria should be started.
The Committee accepted the Director's report, and it was decided that the Director should write officially to the Colonial Office submitting the suggestion that Glossina investigations should be started in the Gold Coast, with proposals as to the general lines on which they might be conducted.
The Chairman stated that he would be glad to support by a personal letter to the Governor of the Gold Coast any proposals which the Secretary of State might be prepared to recommend to the Government of the Colony.
3. The Committee considered a suggestion made by the Zoological Record Committee of the Zoological Society that the Bureau should undertake the compila. tion of the entomological section of the Zoological Record.
The Director said that this was a very useful publication, and that while it was difficult to estimate exactly what amount of work would be involved, he thought that in principle it was desirable that the Bureau should assist the Zoological Society in this way. It might be argued that the entomological section of the Record did not come within the category of economic entomology. On the other hand, systematic entomology formed an essential groundwork for the economic side of the subject. and without it practical entomological work would soon become impossible.
It would not be possible for the Bureau abstractors to undertake the back work for the year 1922, but a start could be made with the year 1923. It was essential that the literature for the purpose of the Record should be examined as it appeared, if the Bureau were to undertake the work; therefore a decision must be taken at once, unless the whole question were to be deferred for a year. It was understood that the Society would pay to the Bureau annually the sum of £100, which was the fee paid by the Society to the late Dr. Sharp for the work.
Sir S. Harmer welcomed the suggestion that the Bureau might undertake the work, and hoped that if a favourable reply was returned to the Society, the opportunity might be taken to express the Committee's appreciation of the value of the Record.
Professor Poulton, Professor Nuttall, Professor Newstead and Dr. Scott sup- ported the proposal that the Bureau should agree to the suggestion made by the Zoological Record Committee.
The Director was authorized to inform the Zoological Record Committee that the Pureau was willing to consider the question of undertaking the work on the lines suggested from the beginning of next year, and a Sub-Committee wesappointed consisting of Sir S. Harmer, Major Austen. Mr. Frver, and Dr. Scott to examine the matter more closely with the Director and Assistant Director, and settle all points of detail. in case it should be found possible to come to an agreement with the Zoological Society,
4. The question of holding the next Imperial Entomological Conference during the year 1924, when the British Empire Exhibition will be held, instead of in 1925, was considered.
If this arrangement would result in a fuller attendance at the Conference than might otherwise be the case, that, it was thought, would be a strong argument in favour of advancing the Conference a year. There were, however, possible objections, and it was felt that the matter required further consideration.
It was decided that the Director should ascertain unofficially the view of the Government Entomologists in the Dominions and the Colonies which would probably be represented at the Conference, and report further at the next meeting.
The possibility of the work of the Bureau being made better known by means of an exhibit in connexion with the Tropical Disease Section of the Exhibition was mentioned. Major Austen thought that this was desirable and that it could be arranged without difficulty. The Director was requested to report on the matter at the next meeting.
141
5. The Committee agreed in principle to arrangements being made for the introduction into Nigeria of parasites of G. tachinoides from Nyasaland, and authorized the Director to take such steps, in consultation with the Colonial Office, as might be thought best, and to expend, if necessary, a sum not exceeding £100 from the Tropical African Fund for the purpose.
6. The Committee authorized the expenditure of a sum not exceeding £70 from the Tropical African Fund for travelling expenses, etc., in South Africa, for Mr. C. F. M. Swynnerton, to enable him to visit, on his way back to the Tanganyika Territory, the men now working at the tsetse-fly problem in Zululand and Southern Rhodesia.
54442
Annexure to No: 45.
HALF-YEARLY REport of the Director of the Imperial Bureau of ENTOMOLOGY. DURING the past six months the work of the Bureau in connexion with the identification of insects has still continued to expand, and the number of specimens received and named again constitutes a record; in the following details, the figures for the corresponding six months of last year are given in brackets for comparison. In all, 169 (121) consignments of insects were received, containing some 32,600 (24,600) specimens, of which 7,500 (6,400) were blood-sucking insects. The number of lists of names sent out to correspondents was 94 (84)-Africa, 55; Asia, 25; Australasia, 9; Tropical America, 7-and these comprised 3,243 (2,223) specific identifications.
Finance. The various official grants have not been paid in quite so promptly as usual, and just about half the amount due is still outstanding, namely £5,550; but even so, this may be regarded as not unsatisfactory in a time of such widespread financial depression. It may be recalled that last year the Government of Jamaica voted only £50, instead of the £100 promised; it was anticipated that £150 would be paid this year to make good the deficiency, but while the full grant of £100 has been paid for the current year, it appears that the £50 in arrear will not now be granted. On the other hand, it is pleasant to be able to record the addition of another subscriber to our list, namely, the Kingdom of Iraq, which has paid a con- tribution of 1,050 rupees (realizing £69) for the current year.
The receipts and disbursements for the half year are shown in Appendix I. In spite of the fall in the bank rate the amount received as interest on our deposits remains substantially the same as for last year, while the amount paid for salaries is lower by £320, and there is a reduction of £40 on the Library. The large pay- ment for office furniture includes a belated account for the various articles that had to be purchased in connexion with the move into our new premises nearly two years ago. The normal expenditure on the Provident Fund for the half year would be £180, and the additional £524 is due to the special grant of 2 per cent. on salaries prior to the starting of the fund, which was recently approved by the Committee.
The statement in Appendix II. sets forth our available funds, and an estimate of our liabilities for the remainder of the financial year, from which it will be seen that the unexpended balance of the Bureau Fund at the end of the year is estimated at nearly £2,000. The balance of the Tropical African Fund will not really be so high as is shown, because we have to meet out of it the cost of printing the new handbook on Tsetse Flies by Major E. E. Austen and Mr. E. Hegh, which will probably amount to about £120. It will be observed that the Carnegie Fund is now nearing extinction; the £300 still in hand has already been allotted to two South African entomologists, who were strongly recommended by Mr. Lounsbury, but the grants will not have to be paid out until next summer. expended so far, on the parasite work, and it is improbable that more than another Only £50 has been £50, will be expended during the current financial year, but as £200 was specially earmarked for this purpose the whole of the balance has been shown as a liability. Export of Parasites.-Dr. A. D. Imms of Rothamstead has already made a satisfactory start with the work of securing parasites for transmission to New Zealand. Unfortunately, he found it was too late in the season to do anything in connexion with the most important insect, the Pear Leaf-curling Midge, and the