SECRETARY'S REPORT 137 



George O. Lee, professor of biology, Junior College, Canal Zone, 

 again brought his students for an overnight stay on the island, as 

 part of their school work. Similar groups from the Normal School 

 of Santiago, Panama, the Abel Bravo Institute in Col6n, and the 

 National Institute of Panama likewise came to the island. 



The resident manager continued his special research problems, 

 particularly the long-term termite-resistance tests, and host relation- 

 ships of the fruit-fly population. The termite-resistance tests, 

 started in 1924, are of increasing importance each year. During 

 these 25 years 42 detailed reports have been prepared and 48 papers 

 published, largely by Snyder, Hunt, and Zetek. It is possible now to 

 build in the Tropics with untreated timbers despite the abundance of 

 termites, and, with a minimum of vigilance, avoid the ravages of these 

 pests. 



Tests were also made on a number of electric-\s^re insulations, some 

 untreated, others treated with pesticides and fungicides. The many 

 instances in which termites have eaten through lead sheathing, as 

 well as glass wool, prove the importance of these tests. 



The Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine continued to 

 explore the worth and usefulness of soil poisons as deterrents to both 

 termites and rot. 



The large Berlese funnel was kept in operation and yielded an 

 abundance of rare insects and mites difficult to collect otherwise. 



URGENT NEEDS 



A steady flow of electric current 24 hours a day is indispensable to 

 a laboratory. The island's present supply of current is manufactured 

 by gasoline-driven generators, some of which are not dependable. 

 Some are single-phase, others three-phase, and this has made it 

 necessary to revamp the entire distribution system. A double-throw 

 three-pole switch had to be installed to separate the various phases 

 and make mistakes impossible when the various generators are used. 

 The drop in voltage at times is considerable. Also the gasoline and 

 oil consumption of the present generators makes electricity too 

 expensive. The only practical solution is to tap the transmission line 

 of the Panama Canal at Frijoles, put in transformers there and on the 

 island, and lay a cable along the lake bottom. This would give a 

 dependable 24-hour daily service at a moderate cost. 



LIST OF THE VERTEBRATES OF THE ISLAND (BIRDS EXCLUDED) 



The following list, brought up to date by members of the scientific 

 staff of the National Museum, shows a total of 173 species and sub- 

 species of vertebrates (exclusive of the birds) now inhabitating Barro 

 Colorado Island. The card index kept on the island gives pertinent 



