28 president's address. 



Empire were assembled in London, at the Coronation of King 

 George V. He convened a meeting of the members of the 

 Entomological Research Committee, and invited the states- 

 men from abroad, when he explained the work proposed, and 

 asked for financial aid from the Australian States, the 

 Dominion of Canada, and the South African States. Among 

 the gentlemen who spoke at this meeting, was the Premier of 

 New South Wales, the Hon. J. McGowen. At the Premiers' 

 Conference held in Melbourne last January, it was agreed 

 that the Australian States should contribute £200 to the 

 funds of the Research Committee. 



In Europe, it cannot be said that there has been much 

 experimental economic entomology carried out. Prof. Paul 

 Marchal, attached to the Agricultural Department in Paris, 

 IS well known as an economic worker, and is Professor of 

 Zoology to the students of the Agronomical Institute. The 

 late Professor Valery Mayet was lecturer on economic ento- 

 mology at the National Agricultural School at Montpellier ; 

 and I spent several very interesting days with both these 

 gentlemen. In Spain, as in France, there are many important 

 problems in agricultural entomology requiring solution; and, 

 at the time of my visit to Madrid, Professor Navarro, who is 

 in charge of the experimental work at the School of Agricul- 

 ture, said that they expected to get a law through that year 

 (1908), to deal with insect- and fungus-pests. 



The Italian Government has always taken a keen interest 

 in methods of dealing with insect-pests, such as the scale- 

 insects that damage the mulberry trees, others on the citrus- 

 crops, and that great pest of the olive-grower, the olive-fly 

 (Dacus olecf). There is a fine entomological station at 

 Portici, near Naples, under the charge of Dr. Filippo Sil- 

 vestri, who has several other well-known entomologists associa- 

 ated with him. Dr. G. Leonardi being his chief assistant. 

 Their quarters are an old palace, and on the flat roof on the 

 top of the building, they have a regular insectarium. Flor- 

 ence, however, is the headquarters of the economic entomolo- 



