430 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 84 



URUGUAY 



Uruguayan insects were collected at a comparatively early date, 

 as indeed were those of all the accessible portions of South America. 

 At one time the well known entomologist, Carlos Berg, was connected 

 with the National Museum at Montevideo, but went to Buenos Aires 

 where he eventually succeeded Burmeister ; but Doctor Coding in- 

 forms me that Berg always felt that Uruguay was a part of his field 

 of operations even when he was in Argentina. 



Uruguayan crops must have suffered from insect damage very 

 many yeafs ago. I notice, fcr example, that C. F. Girard, in the Bulle- 

 tin of the Entomological Society of France for i860, page y^. reports 

 the occurrence of a blister beetle (Epicanta conspersa) as swarming 

 by millions on sugar beet fields near Montevideo, completely destroy- 

 ing the crop which represented the first attempt to cultivate sugar 

 beets in Uruguay. The adjoining fields of sorghum were said not 

 to have been damaged by the beetles. 



In the following years comparatively little seems to have been done 

 in economic entomology in Uruguay until 1911. It is true that an 

 agricultural laboratory existed in which some studies were made on 

 insects injurious to certain crops by Juan Puig y Nattino, and the 

 Agronomic Institute also carried on certain entomological studies. 



In 191 1, however, the " Defensa Agricola " was instituted as a 

 branch of the Ministry of Industry. Ing. Roberto Sundberg was 

 appointed director, and this branch of the Government has done a 

 great deal of work in economic entomology. It has been especially 

 successful in the importation of beneficial insects from other parts 

 of the world, and this highly important work will be described under 

 Uruguay in our later section entitled " The Practical Use of Preda- 

 tory and Parasitic Insects." 



In 1925, a Department of Agronomy was created under the Minis- 

 try of Industry, and this department included a Division of Fomento 

 and Defensa Agricola, this division having charge of work with 

 entomology- and phyt()i>athology. Doctor Sundberg has been made 

 Chief of the Department. The Government, through this official 

 machinery, has been very active in that countr}-, and it is stated that 

 its activities have practically rid the country of its most dangerous 

 insect pests. The Defensa Agricola has published many short papers 

 and also large reports relating to locust outbreaks. In its monthly 

 bulletin have appeared many articles relating to insects and their 

 damage, by J. Brethes, A. T. Peluffo, V. Giacomo, J. Molino, Roberto 

 Sundberg, J. Girardi, and others. 



