(Ill) 



PREFACE. 



This Handbook, dealing with the Insect Pests of the 

 Lesser Antilles, has been prepared by Mr. H. A. Ballon. 

 M.Sc, Entomologist on the Staff of the Imperial Department 

 of Agriculture, with the object, as is stated by the Author, 

 of giving in plain and simple language, 'a brief general 

 account of our present knowledge of some of the principal 

 insect and mite pests of the crops grown in the Lesser 

 Antilles ; also of the pests attacking man and domestic 

 animals, as well as of those of the household.' As is stated 

 further, the scope of the work does not admit of the presen- 

 tation of detailed accounts of insects, nor of descriptions of 

 all insect enemies of plants in the West Indies. An attempt 

 at such a presentation would actually have defeated its 

 object, as this is outlined above ; whereas on the contrary, a 

 perusal of the work as it stands is sufficient to show that 

 this object has been fully and usefully attained. 



The arrangement of the subject-matter is such as to 

 make reference easy, and to bring forward the information 

 in such a way that each subject falls into its natural place 

 in the sequence. The large extent to which illustrations 

 have been employed will add greatly to the usefulness of the 

 work, particularly in so far as it is employed by practical 

 agriculturists. Its educational character will doubtless be 

 found of value in connexion with nature teaching and 

 lessons in agriculture in schools ; in the hands of the teacher, 

 it will assist in presenting and formulating the information 

 to be given, and will aid in providing and identifying the 

 specimens that are required indispensably for demonstration. 



The Handbook presents, to a great extent, a carefully 

 prepared summary of information contained in a large 

 number of entomol3gical publications of different kinds, ancj 



