8.-, 



as we have already done, ovurv assistance from agriculturists 

 and others inturestecl in the welfare of the country and the Club, 

 Only two mails ago I received letters from ^[r. A. G. Butler 

 and Mr. Oldrield Thomas, of the British Museum, telling me 

 that numbers of insects from Trinidad were yet undetermined. 

 The latter, an honorary member to whom we are indebted for a 

 catalogue of the mammals of tlie Island in the British Museum, 

 says : " Extraordinarily little is definitely known of the mammals 

 of your Island." Short notes of original observation are of 

 immense value and will ahvavs be received with pleasure by the 

 Club. 



Our gardens, plains, mountains, rivers, in fact every corner 

 of our island swarm with insects, reptiles and mammals of all 

 descriptions, a good many of which are quite new to science. 

 Our principal staples and fruit trees are all attacked by insects 

 which we must seek to exterminate, and the only way to do so 

 is by continual observation and applying ourselves to seeking 

 the remedies to get rid of them. Already the Club has done 

 some good work in saving the (rliiA'ni alba) trees planted in the 

 Almond Walk. Avhich were l)eing ruined by a scale insect 

 ( Icerija moittsen-atHeiisisJ ; and in our last Journal we drew 

 attention to the attacks on Guava, Crotons and Orange trees, 

 recommending remedies for same. It is in most cases necessary 

 to employ artificial means, but as everything in Nature has its 

 counterpoise, we know instances in which the natural enemy is 

 near at hand and often multiplied in order to effect the cure ; 

 such is the case with the scale insect attacking crotons, which 

 harbours two enemies as related in our last Journal. 



What else can we desire when we have such treasures before 

 us ? Should it not be a labour of love to develop them all V 



If we only look upon the magnitude of the work before us, 

 we may be struck with ama/^ement aud exclaim : Oh I we shall 

 never achieve anything ; this is too stupendous. But there is a 

 beginning to everything, and remembering the old adage ' Home 

 was not built in a da/,' take heart of grace and go forward. 



In eonclnsioa, I repeat, v-haterer ire read or irhaierer earner 

 to our notice let it he veri/ earefidJi/ dotir. ami (hme in earueat. 

 Dafefs, descriptions, localif//. iiKidc, of llrini/. etc.. are essential 

 in the hiolofjil of insect and animal life. 



Ta illustrate my meaning you will allow me to relate a tale 

 told of Mr. Henry Ward Beecher, which will no doubt be 

 interesting. It happened that he had made it a rule of his life, 

 whenever he saw anything done, to give it his fullest attention, 

 hoping that if one day he were called to do the same thing he 

 would be able to do it Avell. In this instance he had stood by 

 whilst his horse Avas being shod and noted carefullv how it was 



