INSECT ENEMIES OF COTTON IN BRAZIL. 65 
owing to the increased cost of transportation, while along the coast 
cane is supposed to be more profitable and better adapted to the climate 
and soil. Distance inland, however, is not an insurmountable obstacle 
in the way of cotton culture here, for some of the places most noted 
for the amount and quality of cotton sent into the market are situated 
on the northern confines of the province, or even in the province of 
Parahyba, or in Ceara. It is no uncommon thing for cotton to be ear- 
ried 400 miles on horseback. In the northern part of the province 
some of the principal cotton-yielding regions are about Bréjo, and in 
the province of Parahyba about Campina Grande and Independencia, 
while to the westward Rianco, in Parahyba, is a good cotton-growing 
district, as well as Pesqueira, Alagéa de Baixo, and Ingazeira in Per- 
nambuco. 
Although I conversed with many intelligent persons in the city of 
Pernambuco, several of them members of the Agricultural Society, upon 
the subject, I was unable to find out certainly whether such a thing was 
known as a caterpillar that devoured the leaves of the cotton plant. 
Dr. Portella informed me that many years ago-—perhaps forty—some 
kind of a plague attacked the cotton so seriously that its cultivation 
was very largely abandoned by the planters. He knew nothing, how- 
ever, of the nature of this plague. The only evidence I could find of 
the existence of such caterpillars in this part of the country was a verse 
of a popular song, formerly sung by the poorer classes hereabout. My 
attention was called to it by Snr. José de Vasconcellos, the editor of 
the Jornal do Recife. Aside from this, the only insect I could learn of 
as being injurious to cotton in any way was the locust, which, as I was 
told, sometimes ate the leaves. 
After consulting with those most capable of advising me in such a 
matter, I decided that Bonito, in the province of Pernambuco, would 
be the best place for our work. The President of the Province and Dr. 
Portella furnished us with all necessary letters of introduction to the 
local authorities, and to such persons as would be able to aid us in the 
vicinity of Bonito, and on the 4th day of January, 1883, we left Per- 
nambuco for that place. We took the Sao Francisco railway as far as 
Palmares, and there hired horses to carry us and our baggage to Bo- 
nito, about a day’s ride to the north. 
Remaining over night at Palmares, I met and conversed with some 
of the engineers in charge of the extension of the Sao Francisco rail- 
way. 
In making inquiries in regard to the prevailing winds, I learned that ° 
a series of meteorological observations had been made by the engineer 
corps at this place, extending over a period of six years. I availed 
myself of the opportunity to copy the record, and consider myself for- 
tunate in having this, the only carefully made series of observations 
that I am aware have been made so far from the coast in this part of 
Brazil. They cover the six years from 1877 to 1882, inclusive. 
8993—Bul. 4-——5 . 
