CO885-(19-20) — Page 325

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

EPEREC.O. 885

السيسيا

20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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Annexure 3 to No. 57.

REPORT OF THE SCIENTIFIC SECRETARY.

Since the last meeting of the Committee of Management the labours of our two Travelling Entomologists have begun to bear practical fruit in the form of collec- tions of insects from various sources. During the past four months 28 consignments of insects, &c., have been received from 18 different contributors, comprising approximately 4,500 insects of all orders (including non-economic species), 3,000 tícks and mites, and 200 parasitic worms.

In connection with this material, 17 reports have been received from various specialists, in addition to which much verbal information has been obtained from members of the British Museum Staff, and 20 lists of names have been sent out to 11 different correspondents, dealing with about 200 species.

The full list of donations is being published in the forthcoming issue of the "Bulletin," proofs of which are submitted herewith. Of these donations the most important are those received from Doctors J. B. Davey, A. H. Barclay, E. H. A. Pask, and Hugh Stannus, all from Nyasaland; Mr. C. C. Gowdey, from Uganda; Mr. Harold King, from the Sudan; and Mr. J. J. Simpson, from Southern Nigeria; Dr. Davey's collection being specially valuable. Several cases of insects despatched by Mr. Neave have just come to hand, but I have not yet been able to examine then. The large numbers of ticks received (more especially from Dr. Davey) have been completely determined by Professor Nuttall and Mr. Warburton with exemplary promptitude; while a large amount of work has been done by Mr. Austen in naming the more important families of Diptera; Mr. Charles Rothschild has identified a considerable number of fleas, collected chiefly by Mr. Simpson; Mr. Newstead has fully determined a fine set of scale-insects, sent by Mr. Gowdey; Dr. Horváth, of Buda-Pesth, has named the bed-bugs, and Dr. Robert Leiper the parasitic worms; while various insects of other orders have been identified by the writer, with assistance from Mr. Rowland Turner, Mr. Meade-Waldo, Mr. Arrow, Mr. Graham, and Sir George Hampson. A number of flies are now in the hands of Professor Bezzi, of Turin, and Mr. Vernon Kellogg, of California, is working out the lice. Dr. F. F. Kohl, of Vienna, has kindly agreed to name the fossorial' wasps, and Dr. Friese, of Schwerin, will do the bees. There still remain several groups for which it has not yet been possible to secure the services of reliable specialists, but it is hoped that the start which has now been made in the general organisation of this part of the work will be considered satisfactory.

With the exception of some 700 specimens, of no economic value, handed to the British Museum, and a few named insects returned to collectors or given to specialists, no distribution of specimens has yet been made, pending the settlement by the Committee of certain points to be considered later.

" has appeared since the last meeting, and The first part of the "Bulletin Part II. (of about 70 pages) is now practically completed, being only delayed by In this part the coloured plate, over which there have been some difficulties. Mr. Charles Rothschild has kindly supplied the blocks for his own paper on the rat-fleas, as well as the author's and artist's fees for Dr. Oudeman's paper on mites, which is illustrated with 22 figures. Mr. Harold King desires that his paper on the life-histories of Tabanus, together with the coloured plate by Mr. Terzi, should be reproduced in the " Wellcome Reports." It has been suggested that in that case the publishers of the Reports should pay half the cost of reproducing the plate; Mr. King has just offered another the matter is being favourably considered.

similar article on the same terms for a future part.

The subscriptions to the " Bulletin "have not been nearly as numerous as could be wished, but a few new orders keep coming in regularly every week, the total booked to date being only 57. It is not known how many copies have been sold by Messrs. Longmans, Green & Co., two applications for information on this point having remained unanswered up to the present. The development of a periodical of this character must necessarily be a somewhat slow process, and there seems no reason to doubt that the circulation will be gradually raised to a more satisfactory figure.

The Balance Sheet as at the end of June, which is submitted herewith, will sufficiently explain the Committee's present financial position. The total amount

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actually paid out to that date was £1,211; while we have £1,786 in hand, without reckoning the grant of £1,000 from the Treasury, which has not yet been paid, so that the total available cash amounts to £2,788 17s. Od. Against this there was about £80 due for salaries at the end of June, and outstanding liabilities of about £200 for the cost of Part II. of the Bulletin," and for the purchase of further collecting outfits; leaving a clear balance of about £2,500.

Satisfactory reports have been received from both our Travelling Entomologists. Mr. Neave has already traversed the whole southern portion of Nyasaland, includ- ing the south end of the lake, and in this area alone he has distributed all the ten collecting outfits with which he was supplied, and has recommended three additional men as being likely to help our work if appliances are sent to them. Of these 13 men, seven are medical officers, three are administrative officials, and three private individuals. Mr. Neave has recently been travelling along the whole length of the western shore of the lake, and expects to leave Karonga about the middle of this month, whence he will traverse German East Africa.

Mr. Simpson has visited every medical post in the Western Province of Southern Nigeria and all in the western half of the Central Province. In this area he has distributed 10 collecting outfits to officials, all medical men with one exception, and he has supplied several private individuals with a few sundries. He is now making an extended tour which will include stations on the Niger and to the east of it. In this area he expects to distribute the remainder of the 20 outfits with which he was originally supplied. It has been arranged to send him a further 20 outfits for use in Northern Nigeria and a portion of these have already been shipped.

ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH COMMITTEE.

Balance Sheet as at the 30th June, 1910.

Dr.

£ s. d. 1,749 14 6

Scientific Equipment Account

""

To Crown Agents for the Colonies.

Scientific Secretary's Cash Account

1)

Salaries Account

34

General Expenses Account

"

""

Camp Equipment Account

"

Travelling Expenses Account

Office Furniture Account

31

"

17

Publications Account

Trade Commissioners Account Subscriptions outstanding

By Government Grant Account

Cash in hand :-

Crown Agents Scientific Secretary

Cash receivable :- Treasury Subscriptions

36 13 3

697 16 4

29 11 9

163 10 10

100 0 0

94 2 6

5 18 0

119 18 10

0 4 0

2 10 0

CT. £

s. d.

3,000* 0 0

0

0 £3,000 0

£3,000 0

£

s. d.

£

s. d.

1,749 14 6

36 13 3

1,780 7 9

1,000 0

0

2 10 0

1,002 10 0

£2,788 17 9