CO885-(19-20) — Page 305

PUBLIC

RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TILL C.O. 885

20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

38

have satisfactorily succeeded in the first duty. Even this much has not yet been done in any of the South African Colonies.

It appears to me that the essence of what is needed most towards furthering the main object is a bureau to receive and secure the naming of specimens, and Ï respectfully suggest that there is no more fitting or convenient place in the Empire for such an institution than the British Museum. Any entirely new organisation, and also the universities and schools interested in the project, would lack many of the advantages for the undertaking which are possessed by the Museum, and which would go far towards the reduction of the initial difficulties of launching the scheme satisfactorily. And, moreover, I think that a large committee to govern the affairs concerned would prove less satisfactory than were the control to be vested in a Museum official, say, in the Director of the Natural History Section. responsible official might be asked to work on lines which meet with the approval of a small special committee, but, within limits, it seems desirable that he have a free hand.

The

The Museum would begin a great work towards fulfilling the chief purpose of the suggested bureau by extending its relations with entomologists and other parties in Africa. There is a feeling abroad now that the Museum does not want material and that an identification will only be made as a very special favour. The United States National Museum has a reputation of greater cordiality towards correspondents, and help is often asked from it by Government officers in British possessions that they do not venture to ask of the British Museum, but probably most of the parties in mind hesitate now to send material to the United States Museum unless that material is of special interest at the time. The difficulty of securing identifications even discourages entomological officers engaged by British dependencies from collecting species not of immediate interest. These men usually find ample economic work to occupy their time fully, and this they deem more profitable than the accumulation of unworked material, which, situated as they are, may suffer rapid deterioration or sudden destruction In my own case, my policy as Entomologist to the Cape Colony Department of Agriculture is to avoid collecting and to discourage all assistants from collecting, in Government time, anything not of obvious economic importance; and similarly I advise correspondents who offer to send in specimens of insects that nothing is wanted that does not Yet if the British Museum were to have a practical bearing on agriculture. announce that it was prepared to name promptly specimens of species that might be presumed to be potentially pestiferous, and that at frequent intervals it would publish identifications and brief notes on material of economic interest which it had received from all sources in Africa, my attitude towards collectors would be modified at once. Many, like myself, would then, I believe, make much use of the Museum, and the material which we furnished would, no doubt, prove of very considerable interest to specialists in England The mention of identifications in some readily accessible publication is an important feature, because insects which are of the utmost importance economically in some parts are sometimes of no apparent consequence in other parts. Thus, for example, Saissetia oleae, the scale insect for which hundreds of thousands of citrous trees in California are fumigated annually, and Dacus oleae, the notorious pest of the olive in Italy, occur, but attract no attention, in South Africa. The latter insect was only recently discovered, but is probably indigenous. Very likely other insects which we now observe casually and then ignore as unworthy of our attention are similarly of grave importance elsewhere. Were there simple facilities for getting them identified and recorded, they would be collected; and the knowledge of their occurrence by workers in other countries might perchance lead to notable advances in the solution of important pest problems.

The Museum authorities would, it seems probable, not be adverse to undertaking duties of the character intimated if it were made a special function of the institu- tion, and if adequate funds for the purpose were provided. Many Colonial Govern- ments would probably be pleased to contribute towards the expenses, for they would stand to benefit greatly. Were such a scheme inaugurated, however, it would be essential to its success that the minutiae of the arrangements be acceptable to the sources of supply, on the one hand, and to the specialists who might be asked to Too great care could not be exercised in this examine material, on the other. respect, and yet there appear to me to be no great difficulties in the way. problem seems largely one of funds and simple arrangements (a) for the reception and classification of material from Governments and approved parties abroad;

The

39

(b) for the identification of material inside and outside of the Museum, (c) for the preservation of identified material in the Museum and facilities for access to it by students, and (d) for publication. Amongst other minor matters, I think it necessary that provision be made for the return of a proportion of specimens after examination, if not to the collector, then to a depository in his country; also for the return of all material, if the sender desires it back, if no use were made of it within a stated period. On the other hand, it might be stipulated that no sender of material should forward similar material to any other museum or specialist for examination within a stated interval. But these matters are only details, as are also the terms which the Museum might arrange with specialists for their assistance, and the facilities which would be granted to the several universities and schools to secure surplus material. The main thing is to get a central depôt for the reception and determination of specimens from the African possessions established, and to do this before any foreign Government adopts the idea and makes in this branch of science-a stronger tie with the Colonies than the Mother Country will be able to make later.

The general scheme may well be confined to African possessions at the start, but, if it proved successful, it would in the natural course soon be extended to embrace all British possessions and ultimately all countries. In short, the natural development would be into an international clearing house for entomology. If necessary that the organisation become in part self-supporting, a charge of a certain amount for each species identified could be made, but it seems inadvisable to intro- duce any system of charges at the outset.

CHAS. P. LOUNSBURY,

Government Entomologist.

35015

(No. 180.) MY LORD,

No. 36.

BRITISH HONDURAS.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 25 October, 1909.)

Government House, Belize, 4 October, 1909. I HAVE the honour to forward copy of a memorandum by Mr. H. I. Perkins I.S.O., Surveyor-General of this Colony, giving some information concerning the South American sand wasp (monedula signată) and suggesting that it might be introduced into Africa as a possible means of exterminating the tsetse fly.

I have, &c.,

Enclosure in No. 36.

E. J E. SWAYNE,

Governor.

A SUGGESTION FOR THE EXTERMINATION OF SLEEPING SICKNESS IN AFRICA.

In view of the vast mortality from sleeping sickness in Central Africa and as

a possible means of exterminating the tsetse fly, I venture to suggest that an experi- ment might be made by introducing into those parts of Africa affected by the disease some predatory insect or bird which, from a knowledge of its habits, might be expected to prey on the tsetse and gradually exterminate it or at least keep it from increasing. The common South American sand wasp (monedula signata) would, I think, answer the purpose. During my various journeys in the interior of the Colony of British Guiana I have frequently come across these insects and the situation of their nests or burrows; and often, when compelled to wait at the side of a river where its course was impeded by cataracts and the boat in which I was travelling has had to be portaged, have I watched their habits. Amongst them I noticed that they prey on the various species of horse fly (tabanus) and other large flies which abound in the Colony. Repeatedly, on killing one of the wasps or on molesting it as it was entering its sand burrow where its nest was, I found that the insect was conveying between one of its pairs of legs an individual of the horse-fly species. Frequently, too, I have been annoyed by the persistent buzzing of the sand wasp as it flew in small circles round me watching for a chance to catch a horse-fly which, unknown to me, had settled on some part of my clothing,

92756

04