(J64i Agricidtural Gazette of N.S.W. [^i?<^. 3, 1908. 



At tlic iii\ itJitioii of tlic J Ion. C. N. Kothscliild (who is the greatest 

 authoi'ity on that important group of insects, tlu; fleas), I spent a very 

 interesting day with the Director (Di-. .lorihm) at the Tring Museum at Tring 

 Park, one of, if not the linest private collection of natural history specira(Mi8 

 in the world. As you are aware, the bubonic ])lague and, it is suspected, 

 leprosy even, has been spread to man by fleas, ^o^ that much attention has 

 been paid during the last few years to these insects. 



I visited the Tropical School of Medicine attached to the Liverpool 

 University, where Mr. llobert Newstead, the leading econonn'c authority in 

 England, has charge of the entomological woi-k, whei'e the identification of 

 all the insects and their parasites which have l)een found or are suspected of 

 spreading tropical diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, and " sleeping 

 sickness "' ai-e collected and preserved. At the present time this Tropical 

 School of Medicine, which has made such wonderful discoveries in medical 

 entomology, has three expeditions in the field — two in Egypt and Central 

 Africa, and the third in Brazil. This institution is well supported by the 

 anerchants of Liverpool, and at the present time they are subscribing funds 

 to establish a Professorship of Entomology in connection with the University. 

 The damage to trade in Central Africa caused by " sleeping sickness " can 

 hardly be estimated. The presence of the blood-sucking fly. Gloss ina nohilis-^ 

 closely related to the much better known Tsetse fly of more southern Africa — 

 has altered the whole trade relations of a vast territory, and is spreafling every 

 year. This fly, by biting man, introduces an organism known as Trypanosoma 

 into the blood and causes the death of infected persons. ,Tust after I left 

 London an International Slee})ing Sickness Conference was held in Loudon, 

 where scientific men from Germany, Belgium, France, and England met, and 

 T may be allowed to insert the following note from an African newspaper of 

 last month, in which, speaking of sleeping sickness, the writer says : — 



It is hardly seven years ago since tlie terrible and at present incurable malady known 

 as Trijpanonomoniii or sleeping sickness Hrst made its way into Uganda from the Congo 

 basin. In a few months it spread with tcrriiile rapidity, and, within a year of its 

 appearance, over 20,000 people died in the single distiict of Usoj'a. Since then the 

 ]K)pulati()n of the districts on the lake shore, and of the islands, has l)een ])ractically 

 wiped out. Brayoma Ishand, a few years ago, counted a population of over 30,000. 

 Two-thirds of that number have ahead}- died, and, as the rest arc all believed to be 

 infected, it is only the matter of a year or two before the complete extinction of the 

 •stunly race of islanders who defeated Stanley and Metesa of Uganda and were with 

 difficulty subdued l)y Sir F. Lugard. In all, some 200,000 out of .S00,000 are estimated 

 to have died already in the infected area. 



I also visited the London School of Tropical Medicine, where I met Sir 

 Patrick Manson, the Director, and Colonc'l Alcock, late of the Calcutta 

 Museum, but now in charge of the entomological work of this institution. 

 This work is carried on with the Sailors' Hospital at Woolwich, where all 

 seamen infected with malarial diseases are received. 



Among a number of other institutions visited I might note the London 

 University, where Professor Hill, late of the Sydney University, showed me 

 over the biological section, and the Nottingham University, where Professor 

 Carr has charge of the economic entomology. Here also I met the Rev. F. 



