444 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 84 



some of his remedial recommendations upon this supposition. I 

 believe that the bulletin has not been reprinted, but is issued with 

 certain portions relating to this supposed secondary host plant crossed 

 out. 



Dr. G. Torres, the present Minister of Fomento of Venezuela, has 

 informed me, through the Director General of the Pan American 

 Union, that his Department has no special service in entomology, but 

 that whenever some case of sufficient importance presents itself the 

 Agronomist of the Department, Dr. Roberto A. Ybarra, is commis- 

 sioned for its investigation. 



THE CENTRAL AMERICAN REPUBLICS 



I regret that there is not more to be said about Central America. 

 In Panama Mr. James Zetek has long been stationed under the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. His post has become a 

 general entomological station for the humid Tropics. Many ento- 

 mologists visit it for varying periods of time, and Mr. Zetek spends 

 much energy in helping them. The specific problems attacked cover 

 an attempt to gain a knowledge of tropical fruit-flies in America, 

 their relationships, host preferences, and life cycles. The station in 

 fact is devoted to the immediate problems of the Canal Zone and 

 to research on pests native to the tropical rain forest areas. It is in fact 

 the only American outpost laboratory in the humid Tropics where 

 research can be done on some of the most dangerous pests. 



The insect fauna of the other Central American countries has 

 long been studied, and collectors from different parts of the world 

 have frequently visited the Central American republics. Many years 

 ago the Englishman, H. W. Bates, published a fascinating book 

 called "A Naturalist in Nicaragua," which' aroused keen interest 

 in the natural history of that part of the world. Much later, col- 

 lectors were sent by Messrs. Godman and Salvin, of England, to 

 get added material to be used in the production of the great work 

 that afterwards appeared in parts, entitled " Biologia Centrali- 

 Americana." Very many specialists worked over the material brought 

 together for this great enterprise, the. illustrations prepared for it 

 were wonderfully well done, and the entire work was monumental. 



Economic entomology, however, has received little or no attention. 

 Efforts to improve the agriculture of some of the countries have been 

 very intelligently pushed, as for example in San Salvador, where 

 a capable official from the United States, Mr. F. W. Taylor, for some 

 time held the post of Director General of Agriculture. To Guatemala 

 experts have gone on several occasions to study agricultural problems. 



