PRELIMINARY REPORT OF OBSERVATIONS UPON INSECTS INJU- 
RIOUS TO COTTON, ORANGE, AND SUGAR CANE IN BRAZIL.* 
By JOHN C. BRANNER. 
Sir: On the 20th of November, 1882, I was, upon your recommenda- 
tion, and under your direction, commissioned by the Commissioner of 
- Agriculture to visit Brazil for the purpose of investigating the subject 
of inseets injurious to cotton, cane, and oranges; and to collect such 
other information as would be rata to you in your capacity of United 
States Entomologist. 
On the 30th of the same month I left Washington, D. C., accompanied 
by one assistant, Mr. Albert Koebele, and left Newport News, Va., on 
the 2d of December, on board the British steamer Borghese. Landing 
at St. Thomas, in the West Indies, on the 9th of December, we took 
advantage of the few hours’ delay of the steamer in that port to exam- 
ine what cotton and other industrial plants we could find for injurious 
insects. We collected some scale insects on the “sapadilla” tree and 
sent them to the Department. We found no injurious insects on the 
few cotton plants examined. 
We left St. Thomas on the same day and reached Para on the 18th 
of December. Here we improved the opportunity to examine orange 
trees for scale insects, and in the few hours we were able to spend on 
shore we made a small collection of insects from these trees. Fortu- 
nately we were able to visit the Natural History Museum of this prov- 
ince, which we did in hope of finding something interesting in the way 
of insects injurious to vegetation, especially of those attacking cotton, 
cane, and orange plants. No such insects, however, were found in the 
collection. 
'I made inquiries of the officers of the Brazilian navy station at the 
marine arsenal at Para concerning the winds prevailing along the north- 
ern coast of Brazil, and along the Amazon Valley. L made similar in- 
quiries of the commanders of the steamers plying on the Amazon and 
* The principal objects of Mr. Branner’s trip to Brazil, as detailed in his letter of instructions, were 
as follows: 
1. The gathering of historical information upon the culture of cotton in Brazil, including the deter- 
mination of the species of insects known to affect tae crop there, and the collecting of facts relating to 
their habits. 
2. To ascertain whether or not Aletia rylina is found in the vicinity of Bahia, and to collect specimens 
n all stages of this and allied insects. 
3. To obtain as complete memoranda as possible of the prevailing course of winds at different seasons 
of the year. 
4. To obtain specimens and information relative to the insect enemies of the orange and the cultiva- 
tion of the crop. 
5. To obtain specimens in all stages of the destructive locusts of Brazil, together with publications 
on the subject. 
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