70 REPOm OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



somewhat broader scientific outlook than is necessary to the 

 pure systematist. 



It would of course be possible to pursue taxonomic 

 studies and occupy ourselves with the description and 

 naming of new species of Diptera, useful work which might 

 well be extended over several years, but this would, in my 

 view, constitute under the circumstances a misdirection of 

 energy, since such work can be better and more easily done 

 elsewhere. 



On these and other grounds I have regarded (2) as the 

 direction in which our work should proceed, and I have 

 now a foundation in a knowledge of the main features in 

 the life-history and habits of all groups of blood-sucking 

 insects in India, as also of the few Diptera which are of 

 any considerable direct agricultural importance. I make 

 use advisedly of the phrase " main features," since the pre- 

 sent arrangements regarding laboratory accommodation do 

 not admit of insects being kept alive except under condi- 

 tions so unsuitable as often to make it difficult or impos- 

 sible to obtain reliable results from observation of indivi- 

 duals in captivity. Our disabilities in this direction are 

 serious, but I am glad to say that steps are now being taken 

 towards the provision of more suitable accommodation. 



I returned from England in March, arriving at Bombay 

 on the 10th and at Pusa on the 22nd. No touring has been 

 undertaken since that date. I found that since my depar- 

 ture an amount of material has accumulated which has oc- 

 cupied a good deal of my attention and which will take 

 time to arrange and work out. A portion of our Nemocera 

 has been named by Mr. Brunetti at the Indian Museum, 

 and the identifications of a number of the Tabanidae sent 

 to the British Museum in 1908 have now been published, 

 which will facilitate work in this group. 



I do not here attempt to submit a detailed report of the 

 past four months. In addition to work on the collection and 

 on blood-insects in general, attention has been directed in 

 particular to (1) parasites of Tabanidse, mainly observations 



