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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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Reference :-

C.O.885

21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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Trinidad (copy annexed). Three definite proposals were put forward in the course of the report:-

(1) That contributions made by the West Indian Islands to the Committee (estimated at £250 per annum) should be used for retaining the ser- vices of an assistant to the Soientific Secretary who would deal entirely with West Indian work.

(2) That the Governments of British Guiana and Trinidad (which will contri- bute the greater portion of the £250) should be approached by the Secretary of State with a view to learning whether they have in their service any entomologist who would benefit by a visit of three to six months to one or more of the American experimental stations; and that in the event of the reply being in the affirmative, the Committee should make arrangements for the men selected to visit the United States, and should meet the cost from the Carnegie Scholarship Fund. (3) That the proper authorities should be approached with the recommenda- tion that an assistant should be appointed to help the Entomologist of the Imperial Department of Agriculture for the West Indies. The Chairman thanked Mr. Marshall for his report and expressed the opinion that he had entirely carried out the wishes of the Committee, and that the results of his visit were to be regarded as most satisfactory. The three specific recom- mendations detailed above were approved.

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Sir John Bradford explained that Sir Ronald Ross's proposal as to the making of an authoritative classification of the Culicide could not be taken up by the Royal Society, which generally preferred to avoid expressing definite opinions on matters of this kind, and he suggested that the subject was rather one for private enquiry. Mr. Rothschild and Colonel Prain pointed out that Sir R. Ross asked for "classification of Culicide, and that the assumption that he wished for an authoritative "nomenclature was not therefore justified. If, however, a nomen- clature was required, it was suggested by Professor Nuttall that the matter might be referred to the International Committee of the International Congress of Zoology at Washington. Dr. Harmer stated that he had doubts whether that was the proper body to which to refer the question, as their function was only to decide in dubious cases the correct names to be applied to any animals according to certain rules of nomenclature already laid down. Mr. Marshall urged that, in any case, the present time was most inopportune for taking up this question. The Committee decided that it would be premature to attempt to make an authoritative classification or nomenclature of the Culicidæ.

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7. The Committee considered a letter from Mr. Maxwell Lefroy to Mr. Har- court's Private Secretary, in which he suggested that a trained entomologist should always be kept ready " in reserve,' with a view to prevent undue delay in the filling of vacancies for Government entomologists in the Colonies. The Committee took the view that the proposal was not practicable.

8. A despatch* from the Deputy Governor of Fiji on the subject of co-operation with the Committee was considered. It was observed that the local Government entomologist was under a misapprehension in thinking that the Committee dealt almost exclusively with the blood-sucking group of insects, but it was decided to recommend that an answer to the despatch be postponed until the new Governor had taken over the administration of the islands. It was noted that the Deputy Governor recommended that Fiji should subscribe towards the Bulletin.

9. Copies of the following despatches† were received:---

(a) From Acting Governor, British Guiana to the Secretary of State, 3rd

October, 1911.

(b) From the Secretary of State to Governor, Trinidad, 10th November,

1911.

(c) From Secretary of State to Governor, Barbados, 10th November, 1911.

(d) From Secretary of State to Acting Governor. British Honduras, 10th

November, 1911.

(e) From Secretary of State to Acting Governor, British Guiana, 10th

November, 1911.

(f) From Secretary of State to Acting Governor, Windward Islands, 11th

November, 1911.

No. 113 in Miscelleneous No. 231.

↑ Nos. 104 to 106, and 108 to 112 in Miscellaneous No. 231.

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(g) From Secretary of State to High Commissioner, Malay States, 10th

November, 1911.

(h) Colonial Office to Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture for the West

Indies, 9th November, 1911.

The question of taking further steps at this stage in connexion with the scheme for Imperial co-operation in entomological investigation was considered. Mr. Marshall laid great stress upon the value of conversations as opposed to com- munication by despatch in matters of this kind. He suggested that a suitable oppor- tunity for discussing the question with the Dominion entomologists might be found next August, as carly in that month the International Congress of Entomology was to be held at Oxford, to which, no doubt, some of the Dominions, at any rate, would send representatives.

Lord Cromer observed that there were obvious advantages in personal discussion, though the Committee might find that a somewhat more elaborate and costly scheme would be suggested than they had so far contemplated.

Dr. Shipley supported Mr. Marshall's views.

It was decided to recommend that the entomologists of the self-governing Dominions should be invited to confer with the Committee in August.

Annexure 1 to No. 10.

REPORT OF THE SCIENTIFIC SECRETARY.

During the quarter ending the 31st December last, the work in the office was greatly expedited owing to the valuable assistance rendered by Dr. J. J. Simpson. As a result of this we were able to sort out the whole of the African blood-sucking flies received up to that date, and to identify all the known species among them, in which latter work much kind help was, as usual, received from Mr. E. E. Austen.

Most of this named material was further divided up into collections for distribu- tion, and these have since been sent out to the following 15 institutions :-The British Museum; the London and Liverpool Schools of Tropical Medicine; the University Museums of Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Manchester; the Quick Laboratory, Cambridge; the Royal College of Surgeons; the Royal Veteri- nary College, Camden Town; the Middlesex Hospital; the Imperial College of Science; the South African College, Cape Town; and a small consignment to the Pennsylvania University. These collections comprised from 40 to over 80 different species. In addition to these larger consignments, a number of small sets of named insects have been sent out in the usual way to the majority of the collectors who have contributed material.

Owing to Mr. Neave's tour through British East Africa there has been a marked increase in entomological work in that Protectorate, and a consequent increase in the number of collections received. During last quarter material was sent in by 34 different contributors, this being a much higher figure than that for any previous quarter. The number of specimens received was about 19,000, of which about 4,500 were blood-suckers. In addition to the current work of determining and recording the biting insects, a considerable amount of time was spent in naming up three fairly large general collections, which were forwarded, respectively, by Mr. C. C. Crowdey, Government Entomologist, Uganda; Mr. T. J. Anderson, Government Entomologist, East Africa Protectorate; and Mr. F. C. Willcocks, Entomologist to the Khedivial Agricultural Society, Cairo.

A statement has been circulated showing the money expended and received during the past quarter, together with a statement setting forth the general financial position. Since the latter was prepared it has been ascertained that a sum of £40 will shortly be received in respect of entomological outfits supplied to the East African Protectorates. The reserve balance in hand at the end of the financial year is, therefore, likely to be over £1,400; of this sum about £320 will be expended during the forthcoming year in connection with the despatch of an entomologist to the Federated Malay States. It will be noted that there is an amount of £2,000 which has been put out on deposit at call, and this will bring in interest at the rate of £8 a quarter.

The Committee will remember that when I was authorised to engage an assistant for clerical work in the office the sum of £150 a year was mentioned as the salary. Mr. Campion was taken on in January, 1911, at £120 a year, and as he has proved