REPORT ON A TRIP FOR TPIE PURPOSE OF STUDYING 

 THE MOSQUITO FAUNA OF PANAMA 



By august BUSCK 



In order to gain some knowledge of the mosquitoes of- Panama, 

 heretofore practically unknown. Dr. L. O. Howard, Chief of the 

 Bureau of Entomology of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 instructed the writer to proceed to the Canal Zone on this mission. 



It was arranged that I should report to Col. W. C. Gorgas, Chief 

 Sanitary Officer of the Canal Commission, in order that the work 

 might be carried out in conjunction with the Sanitary Department 

 with reference to the economic aspects of the subject. 



I left Washington April 12, 1907, and sailed the following day 

 from New York on S. S. Advance, arriving in Colon a week later. 

 After a few days of general inspection, during which I made myself 

 acquainted with the general lay of the land, I made my headquarters 

 in Tabernilla, about midway between the Atlantic and the Pacific 

 coasts. A very suitable tent was constructed and equipped for me, 

 which I occupied during the following three months, except when my 

 work temporarily caused me to take other quarters. 



Most of my work was done in the country around Tabernilla, 

 but numerous trips to other localities along the Panama Railroad 

 from Panama to Colon were made, and two more extended excur- 

 sions were undertaken outside the Canal Zone, up the Chagres River 

 in native dugouts. 



In accordance with the time limit of my authorization, I was pre- 

 pared to leave the Isthmus on July 21, but prolonged my stay on a 

 telegraphic request from the chairman of the Commission in order 

 to be able to give a preliminary verbal report to Colonel Gorgas, who 

 had been absent from the Zone during the latter part of my sojourn 

 there. I finally left Colon July 30 and reached Washington i\ugust 

 6, 1907. 



During my stay I was given every courtesy and constant help in 

 my work by the officers of the Sanitary Inspector's Department, 

 especially by its Chief, Mr. J. Le Prince, and the Associate Chief, 

 Dr. Herman Canfield, who thoroughly entered into the spirit of my 

 investigations and fully realized their important bearing on the 

 practical work of their department. 



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