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former was l)earinj4- sparini^'ly and fruits collected yielded in- 

 sects. Trees of Ficiis elastica in the city were entirely barren, 

 and at the l>otanic Garden it was learned that this species is 

 fertile only in the sub-Himalayan rei^ion, specimens found fur- 

 ther south all being" examples of cultivation. As Mr. Rock, our 

 consultino^ botanist, was g'oing' into the reg^ion where this si)ecies 

 is indig^enous, he kindly undertook to investigate it, and in- 

 formed me later that it fruits in July and xA^ugust. 



In compliance with the additional instruction to renew the 

 search for the fruit-fly parasite Sy)itoniosphyntui indicum, a 

 visit was made between the 11th and 15th of h'ebruary to the 

 Ag-ricultural Research Institute at Pusa, Bihar, where the lead- 

 ing entomolog'ists of the Indian Empire were found in confer- 

 ence. On the way to Pusa, Ficns rcligiosa was observed fruit- 

 ing at Mokamah Ghat, and fruit collected yielded insects. At 

 Pusa, the Imperial Entomologist, Mr. Fletcher, pointed out to 

 me the harmful nature of the two common and widespread In- 

 dian figs, Ficus beiii^alc7isis and Ficus rcligiosa. Xot only were 

 buildings invaded by the seedlings of these species, but large 

 trees, valuable for their fruit or shade, were attacked and de- 

 stroved by them. Tlie conviction was reached here, after re- 

 flecting on my own observations and the information furnished 

 by my experienced colleague, that these and similarly consti- 

 tuted species cannot be safely experimented wnth, and therefore 

 no efifort was made to secure their introduction. Low tempera- 

 tures W'Cre still being experienced at Pusa duriuL^- my visit and 

 fruit flv activity was consequently at an ebb. The only fruit 

 available at the time was the jujube, which contained a fruit 

 fly, Carf^ouiyia Tcsuviaiia, jjarasitized by a braconid, Biostercs 

 carpoiuyiac. The advice given by the Imperial Entomologist 

 was to go south to Coimbatore, Vxdiere, in spite of the season, 

 it was thought possible that ripe guavas might still be found. 

 Accordingly, the journey was undertaken in company with Mr. 

 Edward Rallard, government entomologist in the Madras Presi- 

 dencv, rmd after four davs' travel by train, Coimbatore was 

 reached on the 18th of Februarv. The locality and season there 

 proved entirelv unsuited to fruit-fly work. Again, the jujube 

 was the onlv fruit obtainable, and a visit to the hill-station at 

 Burliar, 60 miles from Coimbatore, vras unencoura-^iny. A liand- 

 ful of rii)e guavas was secured, but none of them harbored mag- 

 gots. The next move was to Bangalore, in ^Mysore State, where 

 Compere obtained Syutonwsphynuji iiidicuni originally. The 

 prospect at this time, however, was not very alluring, as ad- 

 vices received in Coimbatore were that the season was too far 

 advanced for fruit-fly work. On arrival a temporary laboratorv 

 was arranged at the Agricultural Department, and a systematic 

 search for fruit instituted, with the assistance of three native 

 employes of the Agricultural Department. The country for 

 twelve miles around was scoured for fruit without appreciable 

 result. Xot more than a dozen infested cucumbers could be 



