PBEFACE. 



The present volume consists primarily of a series of Reports to the 

 Board of Agriculture, of Eeports and letters to a variety of unofficial 

 correspondents, and of Reports to the Foreign Office and to the 

 Colonial Office, drawn up by Mr. F. V. Theobald during the years 

 1901-1902. Mr. Theobald has recently been employed by the 

 Trustees of the British Museum to assist the Director in such work, 

 especially with a view to furnishing the Board of Agriculture with 

 scientific information on Economic Zoology, in accordance with a 

 request made by that Department of his Majesty's Government. 

 Mr. Theobald is well known as an authority on Economic Zoology, 

 and has the advantage, in carrying out his work at the Natural 

 History Museum, of consulting with the various specialists on the 

 scientific staff, as well as of making use of the collections and library 

 of the Museum. 



I have added to Mr. Theobald's Reports an introductory scheme 

 ■or outline of the study known as Economic Zoology, in the form of 

 a classified survey of the various sub-divisions which it is found 

 convenient to recognise in the treatment of this subject. For this 

 classification I am responsible, whilst Mr. Theobald has been good 

 •enough to fill in the list of selected examples. I have also added 

 some correspondence on Tsetse-fly disease, and on the proposed 

 investigation of the Pearl Fisheries of Ceylon, and on the Marine 

 Resources of the West Indies, which arose from my being consulted 

 in my official capacity by his Majesty's Secretaries of State for 

 Foreign Affairs and for the Colonies. 



The Trustees have ordered the publication of the present Report, 

 in order that the valuable information which it contains may be 

 made easily accessible ; and further, in order to make clear the 

 nature and amount of scientific information on matters of economic 

 importance which the staff of the Zoological Department is almost 

 daily called upon and is prepared to furnish to the public service or 

 to individuals. It must be remembered that the Reports and letters 

 printed in this volume form only a portion of the work of economic 

 importance which is carried out by this Museum, in addition to the 



