June, '10] HOWARD : AFRICAN LOCUST PROBLEM 271 



and a monthly record map based on these reports sent to each sub- 

 scribing colony. Colonies were also warned by wire of approaching 

 swarms of flying locusts and urgency reports isvsued on request. 



Although the work of the Bureau was supposed to be only the col- 

 lection of data, it was really much broader. In May, 1907, a con- 

 ference of all the Ministers of Agriculture of the various colonies was 

 called at Pretoria by the Transvaal IMinister of Agriculture in con- 

 junction with the annual meeting of the committee of control of the 

 Bureau. At this meeting the Bureau was able to put forward facts of 

 such importance that each colony pledged itself to initiate locust de- 

 struction work.' That was the beginning and subsequently the work 

 has gone on well, even the native territories undertaking locust 

 destruction. Since then the Bureau has kept up popular interest 

 by its annual reports dealing with the work of each colony by suggest- 

 ing where improvements could be made and by the issuing of in- 

 formation for newspapers, etc. 



In dealing with the locust question we should not forget the help 

 received from natural allies. Locust fungus was found absolutely 

 useless, and the work of ]\Ir. Pole-Evans, Transvaal Plant Pathologist 

 on the fungus, has, I think, settled the question of its use in South 

 Africa for ever. Early in the work, many birds and small manmials 

 were found to destroy great numbers of flyei's and hoppers, and a law 

 was passed protecting several of the more important birds. These 

 allies could, however, only be of small assistance in combating such 

 a scourge and although they were protected very little reliance was 

 placed on their work. 



Thus during the last three years there has been active cooperation in 

 locust destniction throughout the whole of South Africa. The results 

 of this cooperation soon showed themselves. After the first year 

 Brown locusts in the Orange Free State, Transvaal and Rhodesia were 

 very materially lessened, and the next year were almost lacking in 

 those colonies, while the past season there were none. This past year 

 brown locusts flew down from the Kalahari and German South West 

 Africa into Central Cape Colony and oviposited there, but that is the 

 only part of South Africa which has been infested. The Red locusts 

 are also disappearing. Their numbers in Xatal are lessening each, 

 year, while this season there are practically none in the Eastern 

 Transvaal and Southern ]\Iocambique. In southern Rhodesia and 

 northern ]\Iocambique they are still quite numerous, but the work 

 there is being extended each year farther into the areas of egg laying 

 with the result that they are slowly decreasing in numbers. In the 

 district about the lower Zambesi river two vears ago immense losses 



