INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1907-09. I3 



tion regarding the fruit flies in India, the Australian fruit 

 flies being related to those found in India. Specimens 

 have, therefore, been supplied to him. 



Arrangements have also been made with Professor 

 Silvestri to supply parasites of some of the South Indian 

 species in the hope that they may be utilized against the 

 olive fruit fly, a species which inflicts great damage in 

 Italy. 



Specimens have been lent to the Indian Museum, 

 Calcutta, in connection with the revision of nomenclature of 

 various groups of Indian diptera. A large representative 

 collection of tabanidse has also been lent to the British 

 Museum to assist in like manner the revision of that family 

 now in progress. 



Mr. Howlett contributed to Indian Insect Life the por- 

 tions relating to Diptera and the sections on Mallophaga, 

 anoplura and cimicidae. 



A memoir on sand flies is under preparation in colla- 

 boration with Dr. Annandale of the Indian Museum. 



Mr. Howlett controls the work of the artists at Pusa 

 and is endeavouring to raise the standard of illustration 

 work which is a most valuable part of the publications of 

 the Imperial department. 



Cotton. — Cotton continued to receive a great deal of 

 attention from the agricultural departments. Mr. G. A. 

 Gammie who has done much useful work in cotton, was 

 appointed Imperial Cotton Specialist in December 1907. 

 His report is separately published with those of the heads 

 of sections at Pusa. It is unnecessary to minutely review 

 it here. The co-ordination of the experiments that are 

 being conducted on this crop, will now be possible, and Mr. 

 Gammie's advice in the improvement of cotton ought to 

 prove of great help to the department. The principal lines 

 of improvement attempted have been {a) selection and dis- 

 tribution of cotton seed, {h) introduction of superior indi- 

 genous varieties and better methods of cultivation, {c) 

 hybridization and {d) trial of exotic varieties, 



