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like to discuss. He supported Dr. Sharp's suggestion that the scope of the work should be zoological. There was also a suggestion he would like to make. Mr. Rothschild had just spoken of the difficulty of getting trained people to work in the Colonies. It seemed to him that the Central Bureau might do good by getting those who were carrying on the work in the Colonies sent to our teaching institutions where a speciality was made of biological entomology. He thought that anyone who had had a training in the outlines of the subject would be in a much better position for collecting in a new country and making observations which would throw light on the subject. With regard to the work which had to be done at home, many of them liked to do as much as they could, only time was limited, and they had a great many duties. He asked whether it would be possible to allocate any part of the funds to getting extra assistance in those institutions which were likely to take up this work. There were many young men who would do excellent work.

Professor NEWSTEAD (representing the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine) expressed the willingness of his Council to forward the movement which had been pressed upon them. With regard to the work in the Colonies, he thought that the most important thing for a collector to do was not only to store specimens and send them home, but that he should at the same time make full notes and observations, relating to the nature and extent of the injury caused by the various pests which interfered with the crops, and to such animals which were parasitic on investigated animals. The School had often had sent to them a great deal of valuable material without any data at all. They needed to know something of the habits, &c., of the animals which were sent. Frequently no discrimination was made between those which were injurious and those which were not, and the result was that they were at a loss to know which of all the specimens sent were enemies or friends to the country.

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With regard to the list of workers; so far as he could he would be very pleased to assist, but he felt that his time was almost fully occupied in teaching, and it was only during vacation that he could devote any time to special investigations. They needed more assistance at Liverpool and he thought that a second Bureau a great was highly essential. They must not, however, forget that

who had deal of valuable material had

collected by students been sent out by the various institutions. It was due very largely to such men as Mr. Austen and Professor Nuttall, who were in close and constant touch with the work in the field, that a great deal of valuable material had been sent to this country. He thought it rested with them, who were brought into touch with medical men who were interested, to encourage those men as far as possible. A man would work much better if he received encouragement from home, but, as it was, the workers received much more encouragement from the hands of Americans than from home. The workers themselves had expressed regret that they never got encouragement from the home country. He very much regretted the absence of Mr. Austen, who could have helped them with regard to the workers in the field, as he had been in close touch with them, and had also received specimens and information from those to whom material had been sent.

With regard to the question of training, he thought that whoever was sent out to investigate these matters should have a thorough training before leaving this country.

Dr. ALCOCK expressed agreement with Mr. Rothschild as to the identification of species being conducted by some big institution, and he agreed with Professor New- stead with regard to field work. He had some doubt as to the proposed bureau. If the scope of the work was to include insect diseases and groups of insect pests as carriers of disease, he did not see how the investigation could be directed from a bureau in the same way as sleeping sickness would be. He understood that anything connected with insect pests was likely to predominate over everything else, and that unless they had a very big agency indeed they would find that enquiries on insect pests would come before everything. He thought that agricultural and animal pests should be separated.

As a teacher he would be very sorry to see collections accumulated at Lagos and any attempt made to sort them there.

In conclusion, he spoke of the use which could be made of men who came to England to study, and who were very keen to learn.

Mr. THEOBALD said he had very few remarks to make. They had heard that two entomologists were going to be appointed in Africa, but they had not heard whether they were to be medical or agricultural. If they were to be agricultural, he

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suggested that they should not travel about collecting, but settle themselves down where the country was most established, and study the insects there that were doing damage to the crops. It was not enough that they should be trained entomologists; they should also be trained in practical work. They should not only be naturalists, but they should be a great deal more-they should know how to deal with insect pests.

With regard to collecting, he thought they had as many collections as they wanted. The money should be spent in encouraging the study of the life history of the creatures that were doing damage, and the collectors should spend their time in studying the life history and experimenting on the planters' grounds with the different methods that were known to check the insects in doing damage.

He considered that the British Museum should be encouraged, and that two assistants were needed there, but where he thought the money could do most good was in encouraging the investigation of the crop pests in Africa.

Dr. HEWITT thought that the subject about which they were talking resolved itself into two sections: the situation of the bureau and the kind of work to be done. Some kind of committee would be the best way of dealing with this large and complex question, and he agreed with the speaker who said that it would not be possible to use, at present, the Sleeping Sickness Committee. What they wanted was a com- mittee of zoologists with some members who would pay attention to the medical side of the question. He did not agree with Dr. Alcock in thinking that the agri- cultural and medical sides should be separated, because that would lead to difficulties. The two types would have to be taken and worked together, and he agreed with the speaker who said that more biologists were required in the field. They wanted men who had had a biological and entomological training who would be able to study the habits of the insects rather than amass large collections in the Museums.

He thought it was a most important thing that they should have some organisa- tion—some bureau or committee, officially connected with the Colonial Office, to act in organising entomological research.

Professor NUTTALL had very little to say. He felt that the two sides, medical and agricultural, should be separated. The agricultural pests were so numerous that this part of the subject might swamp the medical side. There could be no question that the agricultural side was of enormous importance.

Ile thought they must have a basis where all the types were collected, and where general information could be procured, and easily procured.

As for the men who went out to the Colonies; it was important to have men who could use their eyes, and they should be given more training in this respect. He thought it necessary that the workers who came to the laboratories should travel and learn something about the different groups of insects. He laid stress on the import- ance of encouragement from home. The feeling in Jamaica in this respect was only a reflection of the feeling expressed elsewhere; all the Colonies were saying that they had received no encouragement. He did not want to say that it was true, but it was a fact that there was a great deal of discontent.

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Dr. HARMER, who represented the British Museum, said that he was extremely sorry that the Museum was not better represented. He wished to say that any opinions he expressed had received no official sanction, and that it was impossible any private person to attempt to represent the British Museum without sanction, but he knew that the Museum was likely to feel the most cordial sympathy with the objects of the Conference. It was important that anything that was done in the formation of a bureau should not be in any way prejudicial to the interests of the Museum. He wished to say a word with regard to the right the Museum had to feel that they had this claim not to be interfered with. He had a copy of a paper with him which was issued by Mr. Chamberlain from the Colonial Office in 1898.* The circular was sent to a number of medical officers who were connected with the Colonial Office, and it referred to a committee appointed by the Royal Society and Mr. Chamberlain for the purpose of obtaining information with regard to the possible connection of malaria with mosquitoes. This was followed by a minute by the Trustees of the Museum, which was dated 1899, in which the Trustees refer to the circular on the probable connection of malaria with mosquitoes. Somewhat later a paper was issued by Sir E. Ray Lankester, giving full instructions with regard to

• See No. 125A in Miscellaneous No. 119.