241 



been consumed by both Messrs. Fullaway and Bridwell to bring" 

 about continued success of the breeding experiments so satisfac- 

 torily inaugurated by Prof. Silvestri. The latter entomologist, as 

 you are aware, left for his home in Portici, Italy, in the middle of 

 June and since that time the breeding has been in charge of 

 Mr. D. T. Fullaway, the entomologist loaned the Board by the 

 Hawaii Experiment Station. The necessity of securing additional 

 entomological assistance was at once made very apparent upon 

 Prof. Silvestri 's arrival here with the parasites he had discovered 

 in Africa, and for that reason the services of Mr. Fullaway were 

 requisitioned by the Board as above stated. 



Owing to an unexpected reduction in the appropriations from 

 which the entomological expenditures of the Board are drawn, 

 it was at first contemplated that we could not continue the breed- 

 ing and distribution of these parasites beyond September 30, but 

 having interviewed Governor Frear relative to this matter he 

 strongly urged that the Board, if at all possible, continue this 

 special work for another three months. As I deem it of the 

 utmost importance that the multiplication and distribution of these 

 Silvestri parasites should not at this stage of the experiments be 

 stopped, I earnestly recommend continuation of the insectary 

 work until December 31 and continued, if necessary, longer than 

 that period if funds are available. 



In the meantime I am notified by Mr. Fullaway that he has 

 been ordered by his station to go to the Philippines on special 

 entomological work for the Federal authorities, and as he will 

 leave for those islands about the middle of next month I have 

 made arrangements to have Mr. Bridwell, one of the Board's 

 entomologists, take charge of the work for the time being. I 

 have no doubt that the breeding of the parasites will continue 

 satisfactorily under his immediate charge. 



I also desire to say that, although the enclosed lists of distri- 

 bution of both horn fly and fruit fly parasites show that appar- 

 ently large numbers have been distributed to the various islands, 

 it does not necessarily mean that these will all become established. 

 We are already aware of the establishment of one or more of 

 these parasites in localities near Honolulu where we have been 

 able to give close attention to the conditions of host material 

 before liberation, but this in no manner means, as yet, that the 

 establishment is considered quite satisfactory nor that it is in 

 any way general wherever liberations have been made. To en^- 

 sure success at all (if success is at all possible) many more thou- 

 sands of each of the parasites will have to be bred and liberated, 

 and if not liberated under the most ideal conditions as to the 

 presence of the host pest in its proper stage of growth there is 

 always a grave chance that the colonies liberated will produce 

 negative results. Neither must it be supposed that a perceptible 

 diminution of the numerical strength of the pest is to be looked 



