241 



choose between them. Finally Sir John Goldney's prize was 

 awarded to Microhia* Since this competition has been decided 

 the Business Committee of the Club has met and, with the con- 

 currence of the Finance Committee, has agreed to ofier ^50 in 

 prizes for the best essa3^s on local economic entomology accom- 

 panied by collections, and it is hoped on the part of the Club that 

 when the period allowed for the preparation of these essays and 

 collections has expired, there will be a fine competition and that 

 the result will be of benefit to the Country generally and Agri- 

 culturists in particular, by aftbrding and widely difiusing know- 

 ledge as to how to deal with the insect pests which attack our 

 sugar canes, bore into our cocoa trees, destroy our cocoanuts and 

 our ground provisions, work havoc in our flower gardens and 

 prematurely ruin our houses, and inflict such misery upon our 

 domestic animals. I hope the community generally will be 

 interested in this competition and v/ill not be backward in point- 

 ing out all the fields for investigation in this direction which 

 offer themselves, so that our young men may have plenty of 

 material to work upon and their efforts may result in lasting 

 benefit to the island, and, may I venture to suggest it 1 not only 

 here, but to other, and far distant parts of the globe. 



The past year I regret to say has seen an almost entire 

 cessation from field excursions by the Club as a body, only two 

 adorning the record — one to Diebe Valley on the 11th September, 

 which was at the last moment changed to the St. Ann's Vallej^, 

 and a semi-official one which was made to Blue Basin last Decem- 

 ber. But although the Club as a body has not gone out together, 

 many of the membei's have made excursions which have been of 

 the most interesting character. Amongst these I may enumerate 

 the two ascents of Mount Tucuche by Messrs. Urich, Broadway 

 and Potter which resulted in a fine harvest of botanical speci- 

 mens and some new species of earth worms and terrestrial 

 leeches which are awaiting determination, and a number of rare 

 and beautiful insects ; the Caroni trip by Messrs. Urich, Broad- 

 way, and Mole which although somewhat disastrous in that they 

 spent the greater part of the day bleaching in the sun on the 

 Caroni bar was productive of a rich collection of plants by Mr. 

 Broadway. Another most successful trip made by myself was to 

 Fondes Amandes on Whit-Monday and a no less interesting one 

 was a four days visit by Messrs. Mole and Urich to Marmortl 

 Valley. 



During the year an attempt has been made at forming a 

 stuffed collection of the animals of Trinidad. Our efforts so far 

 have not been crowned with the highest measure of success, but 



•The President thus modestly refers to this paper which was written 

 by himself. Publication Committee. 



