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2. The despatch has been referred to the Committee, together with the despatches of the Administrators of St. Lucia and St. Vincent submitted in Sir J. Hayes Sadler's despatches, No. 80 (St. Lucia), and No. 65 (St. Vincent), of the 23rd and 15th of May respectively.*

3. The Committee have decided to adopt the proposalst put forward by the Commissioner of Agriculture, to which reference is made in the second paragraph of the despatch under acknowledgment, and they understand that Sir J. Hayes Sadler concurs in those proposals so far as they affect the Windward Islands, as likely to afford the most practical means of co-operation.

4. With regard to your despatch of the 15th of May, I have to inform you that the Committee will be glad to accept the offer of assistance from Dr. L. Nicholls.

I have, &c.,

38242

No. 113.

FIJI.

L. HARCOURT.

177

5. I regret that the question as to the nature of the reply to be made to your despatch of the 22nd March last* was not placed before Sir Henry May prior to his departure for the Solomon Islands on the 21st instant. It appears to ine that any funds that the Colony may be in a position to provide towards entomological research should for some time to come be devoted mainly to economic investigation on the lines indicated in the preceding paragraphs of this despatch. At the same time, Mr. Jepson assures me that he is confident that he can deal with the deter- mination of any of the "blood-sucking" insects which occur in these islands. I am of opinion that the Colony should subscribe towards the Journal issued by the Entomological Research Committee, and the Colony will forward to the Committee copies of all reports issued by the Government Entomologist. This officer should also forward and place at the disposal of the Committee any specimens that may be of special interest to the Committee. Mr. Jepson's report-now in the hands of the printer-is partly illustrated, and the Committee will have better opportunity of obtaining an insight into the work done here during the last two years after they have received copies of the report in question.

I have, &c.,

PUBLIC RECORD

།།། །

OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TU

THE ACTING GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received November 28, 1911.)

(No. 267.)

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, Miscella- neous, of the 1st ultimo,§ and I have to express my regret for the delay in replying to your despatch of 22nd March last, in which you requested the Governor to consider whether co-operation by this Colony with the African Entomological Research Committee is desirable, and, if so, to indicate what would be the best means of effecting that co-operation.

Government House, Suva, Fiji, 26th October, 1911.

2. The Government Entomologist, to whom your despatches were referred for comment, now reports that when your despatch of the 22nd March last was received he was engaged in hurrying on the completion of his report of work done here, to which reference was made in Sir Henry May's despatch, No. 131, of 7th July last. I trust that the report will be printed in time to be transmitted to you by the mail due to leave here on the 28th November.

3. Mr. Jepson explains that in May last he communicated with two of the officers of the Entomological Research Committee with the object of ascertaining what special objects would be gained by Fiji at the present juncture in co-operating with the work of the Research Committee. He has so far received no reply from them on this subject. Mr. Jepson further represents that, so far as he understands, the Committee deals almost exclusively, at present, with the "blood-sucking group of insects, which are but poorly represented in Fiji. Mr. Jepson has made a fairly complete collection of those insects here, and they are referred to in his report. He is particularly interested in this group of insects, having studied the question for two years in a medical laboratory at Cambridge. He has had all specimens discovered by him here named by experts in England.

4. Mr. Jepson has recently been directed to apply his investigations in the immediate future to economic entomology. The two principal pests to which Mr. Jepson has been requested to confine his attention for some time to come are the grub that feeds on the leaves of the cocoanut tree in Viti Levu, and which renders the tree fruitless; and also the banana borer, which is now a real scourge in large areas of banana cultivation in Viti Levu. It is probable that Mr. Jepson may have to visit New Guinea and Java in order to endeavour to trace the natural enemy of the banana borer that is supposed to be present in those countries. The expense of Mr. Jepson's mission will probably have to be borne entirely from general revenue. The Chambers of Commerce and the Planters' Association of Fiji, while active in complaint and representations as to the above pests, show ne disposition to follow the lead of similar bodies in the Sandwich Islands, where almost the whole cost of an acknowledged able and well-equipped entomological department is borne by private firms.

Nos. 86 and 84. Reminder...

+ See No. 81. No. 78.

1 No. 83.

¶ 26019; not printed.

38627

No. 114.

EYRE HUTSON,

Deputy Governor.

ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH COMMITTEE.

A meeting of the Selection Sub-Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Thursday, 30th November, 1911.

PRESENT:

Dr. SHIPLEY (Chairman). Colonel ALCOCK. Dr. MACDOUGALL. Professor NUTTALL. Professor POULTON. Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. PARKINSON.

1. In accordance with a reference of the Committee at the General Meeting

of the 26th of October,† the Sub-Committee met to select a suitable candidate for temporary appointment to the Federated Malay States for the purpose of studying in the field the life history, habits, and habitat of the ticks and other insects collected by the local medical and veterinary officers.

Three candidates were considered: Mr. A. E. Cameron, Mr. J. J. Simpson, and Mr. C. Strickland, but Mr. Simpson's name was withdrawn. The Sub-Committee decided to select Mr. Strickland, who not only possesses a sound knowledge of ento- mology, at which he has been working at the Quick Laboratory, Cambridge, but also holds the degree of B.C. (Cantab.).

The Sub-Committee were of opinion: (1) that the appointment should be offered at once without waiting for the formal approval of the Committee at the next General Meeting; (2) that no leave should be granted to the candidate selected in respect of his year of service; (3) that the Secretary should consult Dr. Fraser of the Institute for Medical Research, Federated Malay States, as to outfit for Mr. Strickland; (4) that if the Federated Malay States Government should at the end of one year wish the appointment to be prolonged, the Committee should not undertake to share the cost, but that this point need not be raised with the local Government at present.

2. Mr. Marshall observed that it would shortly be necessary to select another Carnegie scholar" to succeed Mr. G. H. Grosvenor. The Sub-Committee agreed that the next man selected should be one who would be in a position to teach ento-

• No. 78.

† No. 103.

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