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Department of Agriculture will, as far as possible, deal directly with the problems of the Windward and Leeward Islands, and maintain such intercourse with the other Colonies as the respective Governments may desire, and at the same time the Department will disseminate information concerning plant pests generally.

10. The medical aspect of the case presents greater difficulties. It may be possible to find medical officers who are interested in the entomological aspects of certain diseases who will record observations and collect material. Any material so collected might be referred to the Entomologists connected with the Agricultural Departments, who will probably be in a position to identify many of the insects, to maintain the necessary records, and to preserve the specimens. In the publication of new work the medical and entomological officers might collaborate, and in cases of difficulty, which would probably be numerous, reference could be made to the Entomological Research Committee in the manner described in paragraph 7.

11. So far as organisation is concerned, this implies that the Medical Depart- ments shall, as far as possible, play the same part towards medical entomology that the Agricultural Departments do toward agricultural entomology, and that the Entomologists now attached to the Agricultural Departments shall, so far as their time permits, assist the medical observers.

12. In all this the Entomological Research Committee stands as an important institution for reference both in respect to agricultural and medical entomology. This being so, it only remains to decide to what extent the Colonies making use of the Committee shall contribute towards its maintenance. In this connection Mr. Marshall, at the West Indian Agricultural Conference, tentatively put forward the suggestion that a sum of £250 a year might be contributed for this purpose by the West Indian Colonies.

13. The work done by the Entomological Research Committee in relation to the African Colonies and Protectorates has involved much more expensive work than appears to be called for in the West Indies; the conditions of the countries dealt with in Africa are less completely known, and their extent is vast in comparison with that of the West Indian Colonies. In addition to this it was found necessary for the Committee to send out trained Entomologists to make investigations, more particu larly in connection with medical and veterinary entomology.

14. The valuable Bulletin of Entomological Research was also necessitated by the large and scattered character of the African possessions, and the absence of any entomological publications dealing with their affairs as a whole. The means of publishing West Indian information is provided for to some considerable extent by the publications of the Imperial Department of Agriculture and of the various Colonies. Nevertheless, there is reason to expect that the Bulletin of Entomological Research may ultimately play an important part in connection with West Indian entomology.

15. These matters received consideration during the recent West Indian Agri- cultural Conference, held in Trinidad, at which Mr. G. A. K. Marshall, the Scientific Secretary of the Entomological Research Committee, was present as the representa- tive of that body. I attach copies of the abstract of the proceedings having reference to this matter to which I invite attention (" West Indian Bulletin," XII., part 2, pp. 259-265). During his visit to the West Indies Mr. Marshall had opportunities of seeing something of the local conditions, and of meeting many persons interested in these questions, thus enabling him to form opinions that will be extremely useful in discussing these problems.

16. As bearing upon this question I have to point out that at the Conference it was suggested that the Imperial Department of Agriculture should act as a medium of exchange of views in entomological matters for the West Indian Colonies, particu- larly in relation to insect nomenclature: when this is carried out it will increase the work on the entomological side of the Department, and render even more necessary than at present some addition to the staff; a question to which attention has already been drawn.

17. I may summarise these suggestions by saying that what appears immedi- ately necessary is :—

(a) To ensure the efficiency of the entomological work now carried on by the Imperial Department of Agriculture and the several West Indian Agricultural Departments, and to arrange for regular means of refer- ence to the Entomological Research Committee in cases of difficulty.

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(b) To stimulate entomological enquiry and research on the part of medical officers, to organise medical entomological enquiry on the part of the Medical Departments, to ensure for the medical observers some technical assistance, and to arrange for regular means of reference to the Entomological Research Committee in cases of difficulty.

(c) To ascertain what contributions may be expected from the West Indian Colonies towards the maintenance of the Entomological Research Com- mittee.

18. In view of the reference to the Governments of British Guiana and Trini- dad in your telegram* above referred to. I am forwarding copies of this letter for the information of the Governors of those Colonies.

I have, &c.,

FRANCIS WATTS,

Commissioner of Agriculture for the West Indies.

Enclosure in No. 32.

THE WORK AND OBJECTS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL Research COMMITTEE. Mr. G. A. K. MARSHALL (England) addressed the meeting in regard to this matter, stating first of all that when he had been selected by the Entomological Research Committee to come to the West Indies, on the invitation given by the Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture, he did not at the time realise how important a visit it would be. The first thing that he understood, in coming out to the West Indies, was that there seemed to be considerable misunderstanding as to the work of that Committee, and as to the proposal made some time previously in a circular despatch issued by the Colonial Olice, suggesting that the West Indian Islands should co-operate with the Committee in furthering an interest in insect pests. That misunderstanding was due to the ambiguous terms of the despatch, owing to the fact that the conditions in the islands were very different, and it was difficult to state specific proposals which would cover the Colonies outside the Crown Colonies. He therefore took this opportunity to explain briefly the origin of the Entomological Research Committee and some of its objects.

The immense importance of entomology, both in regard to the health of human leings generally, and as regards industry of all kinds, especially of an agricultural nature, had only recently been recognised to any great extent in England; and this was largely due to the discoveries of Sir Patrick Manson and Sir Ronald Ross with regard to the carrying of malaria by mosquitoes. The importance of this subject was now year by year more increasingly recognised, and the necessity for investigations of the kind was particularly apparent in regard to tropical West Africa, where it was shown that the backwardness in the development of the indus- tries was chiefly due to causes arising from the presence of certain insects. This fact was recognised by Lord Crewe, who was then Secretary of State for the Colonies. and he consulted with Dr. Shipley of Cambridge with regard to stimulating men to the study of insects in order that the resources of our tropical countries might be better developed. As a result of that, the Entomological Research Committee, which is composed of scientific men skilled in the study of tropical diseases and various insects, was formed, its duties being then confined solely to tropical Africa. It started work in Africa, sending out travelling Entomologists-one to the East African Colonies and another to the West African Colonies-and the result, so far, had been most gratifying. The Committee had been in existence for two and a half years. After eighteen months' work, requests began to be received from Colonies outside, asking whether they could not be helped to control the disease-carrying insects, these requests coming not only from private individuals, but from officials in those Colonies. A difficulty at once arose, because the funds provided for the work of the Committee had been supplied entirely in the first place by certain African Colonies, and were obviously earmarked for expenditure in Africa only, and Lord Cromer was of opinion," and the Committee supported him, that it was not fair that they should utilise that money for doing work for Colonies that were not contributing. Under these circumstances, it was suggested by the Secretary of State for the Colonies that

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