16 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 
time you are here, and I hope that you will all take the opportunity of 
seeing anything that you want to see. 
There is one other subject on which I will say a few words, and that 
is in regard to the Lantana investigation which has been taken up. You 
all, I suppose, know what Lantana is? [Some of the Provincial Dele- 
gates stated that they did not know Lantana, and fresh plants were conse- 
quently obtained and exhibited at a subsequent meeting.| Some of you at 
least know it and may know how it has gained a footing and spread in 
many areas in India and Burma until it has become a serious nuisance. 
You may also be aware of the methods by which attempts have been 
made to control it in other countries, notably in Hawaii, by the intro- 
duction of various insects to check its capacity for fruiting. It has 
been proposed that similar steps should be taken in India and, as a 
preliminary step, Mr. Ramachandra Rao, of the Madras Agricultural 
Department, has been placed on special deputation to study Lantana 
and particularly to try and find out whether we already have in India. 
or Burma any insect which is capable of checking its spread and which 
may be safely used for this purpose. Mr. Ramachandra Rao has come 
to Pusa to attend this Meeting and later on will tell us the results of 
his preliminary investigations. Next month he will start work in Coorg 
and will. probably remain there until the monsoon breaks about June, 
or as soon thereafter as he has finished any work which he may have 
in hand then. After that, during this year and next year, he will visit 
other localities where Lantana occurs, in his search for insect checks 
on this plant. No definite programme can be arranged yet, but, whilst 
you are all together here, | want you to take the opportunity of talking 
the matter over with Mr. Ramachandra Rao and letting him know, 
as far as you can, the areas in your several Provinces invaded by Lantana 
and the best time of year to visit such areas, with any details of accom- 
modation or conveniences for such work and so on. This information 
will perhaps give us a basis to work on when we come to make out a 
more definite programme later on, when we see how the work is 
shaping. 
We come now to the main business before this Meeting, which is 
the discussion of mutual experiences with regard to the occurrence and 
control of insect pests, principally crop-pests. I am afraid that I can- 
not give you any exact definition of what is a pest or what is a crop. 
One of the most striking points brought out by the last Entomological 
Meeting was the great difference of view regarding the right of many 
insects to be regarded as crop-pests. In numerous cases, an insect, 
which was regarded in some Provinces as of no account at all, was claimed 
by others as a serious pest. So that we shall have to guide ourselves 
