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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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Reference :-

LC.O. 885

20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

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COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

SIR,

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(No. 78.)

136

The SENIOR Medical OffiCER to the ADMINISTRATOR.

Dominica, 3 May, 1911.

I HAVE Carefully considered the Governor's despatch, No. 198, of the 19th ultimo, and its enclosures in reference to the possibility of co-operation with the African Entomological Research Committee, and I have the honour to make the following observations thereon for His Excellency's information.

2. The work of the Committee in question has reference to the relation between insects and African diseases of men and other animals and of plants.

3. The diseases of plants in Dominica caused by insect agency have been for some years under the investigation of the Imperial Department of Agriculture for the West Indies, and I have from time to time rendered assistance to the Entomo- logists of the Department in their investigations.

4. There is no epidemic or endemic disease now amongst the animals in the country, and there is no reason to believe that any such disease, whenever it has existed, has been due to insect agency. Cattle at times are found to harbour small ticks which cause irritation, but which have no pathological effect.

5. Mosquitoes that are capable of carrying malarial, yellow fever, and filarial infection are common in the island, but so far there has been no evidence of the local diseases of man being due to the bites of insects.

6. Some time ago I investigated the question of the prevalence of biting in- sects as possible disease carriers in Dominica, and specimens of insects then collected were forwarded by me to the Natural History Department of the British Museum. Amongst those insects was a vicious biting fly which proved to be a variety of Tabanus then unknown to science. This was the only possible disease-carrier (save mosquitoes) then found; but, although the fly bites severely and often causes haemor- rhage thereby, disease in man and other animals has not been observed to result from attacks of the insect.

7. I have now a small collection comprising mainly examples of the Tabanidae and Hippoboscidae which I propose to send on shortly to the British Museum. Should anything of importance be found amongst these insects it will naturally be communicated to the African Entomological Research Committee by Mr. E. E. And, in the circum- Austen-who is a member of the Committee in question. stances, it appears to me that this relation between Dominica and the Natural History Department of the British Museum really constitutes indirectly a co-opera- tion with the Committee established for African Entomological Research.

I have, &c.,

H. A. ALFORD NICHOLLS,

Senior Medical Officer.

His Honour

The Acting Administrator of Dominica.

(No. 334/426.) SIR,

Enclosure 3 in No. 87.

Commissioner's Office, Montserrat, 11th May, 1911.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency's despatch No. 194 of the 19th ultimo, transmitting a copy of a despatch from the Secretary of State with papers on the subject of the work which is being carried on by the African Entomological Research Committee.

2. Having consulted the Senior Medical Officer on the subject, I am of opinion that, in view of paragraph 3 of Your Excellency's despatch, all that can be done at present by way of co-operation in this scheme is for Government Medical Officers, and others interested, to forward specimens to the Research Committee.

3. Later on, should this Colony adopt the recommendation made at the last Quarantine Conference held in Barbadoes, that each Government subscribing to the West India Intercolonial Sanitary Convention should obtain the services of a thoroughly trained bacteriologist, this officer, who should also be versed in ento- mology, might visit each island and give instruction in the methods of collecting, examining, classifying, and packing specimens.

4. Another plan occurs to me whereby much useful work might be done. Let the Imperial Department of Agriculture take up the subject, and, under the guidance

137

of their Entomologist, who would give the necessary instructions to the various Curators, and they in turn to all others interested in the scheme, specimens would be collected and forwarded for examination to headquarters, whence any species of special interest might be sent on to the Research Committee at the British Museum.

His Excellency

17084

The Governor,

&c., &c.,

Antigua.

&c.,

No. 88.

I have, &c.,

M. P. DUKE,

Acting Commissioner.

THE

PROCEEDINGS AT A DEPARTMENTAL CONFERENCE AT

COLONIAL OFFICE ON WEDNESDAY, 14TH JUNE, 1911, TO DISCUSS A SCHEME FOR IMPERIAL CO-ORDINATION IN THE PREVENTION OF THE SPREAD OF INSECT PESTS IN AGRICUL- TURE AND HORTICULTURE.

PRESENT:

The EARL OF CROMER (Chairman of the Entomological Research Com-

mittee).

LORD LUCAS (Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies).

The Honourable J. S. T. MCGOWEN (Premier of New South Wales). The Honourable Sir ELLIOT LEWIS (Premier of Tasmania).

The Honourable Sir WILLIAM HALL JONES (High Commissioner for New

Zealand).

The Honourable F. S. MALAN (Minister for Education, Union of South

Africa).

The Honourable S. D. BLANDFORD (Minister of Agriculture, New-

foundland).

The Honourable A. A. KIRKPATRICK (Agent-General for South Australia). The Honourable Sir NEWTON MOORE (Agent-General for Western

Australia).

The Honourable J. S. DUFF (Minister of Agriculture, Ontario).

Mr. J. W. HOLLIMAN (Under-Secretary for Finance and Trade, New South

Wales).

Mr. MAXWELL H. LEFROY (Imperial Entomologist for India).

Mr. T. H. MIDDLETON (Board of Agriculture and Fisheries).

Lieutenant-Colonel D. PRAIN (Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew). Mr. H. J. READ (Colonial Office).

Mr. G. A. K. MARSHALL and Mr. A. C. C. PARKINSON (Joint Secretaries,

Entomological Research Committee).

LORD LUCAS: I would like to express, on behalf of Mr. Harcourt, who very much regrets his inability to be present at the meeting, his thanks to all those gentlemen who are present for so kindly attending, and also to express to you his First of all, I have best wishes for a successful result of our Conference to-day.

"Dear

to read to you two letters that have been received. The first is from Sir George Reid, who, writing from the Commonwealth Offices in Victoria Street, says: Lord Lucas, I deeply regret that a multitude of engagements for to-morrow prevent my attendance at the Colonial Office to give all the help I could to a Committee which is concerned with the prevention of the spread of disease in agriculture and horticulture. As you know, so far as the Federal Authorities are concerned, their powers in the matter are confined to questions of importation. All internal ques- tions are still within the jurisdiction of the respective States. I feel quite sure that the Australian Government will be prepared to act promptly and effectively in prohibiting the importation of insect pests. I trust that I shall be kept informed of the work of the Committee. I am extremely glad to hear that Lord Cromer is taking a keen interest in this matter. Again assuring you of my cordial co-operation, I am, Yours most sincerely, G. II. Reid."

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