96 



THE BRITISH WEST INDIES. 



Injurious insects in the British West Indies have only recently 

 received otticial or seniiotiHcial attention, with the single exception that 

 in the year 1801 a special commission coniposedof members of the gen- 

 eral assembly of the Bahamas was appointed to investigate the damage 

 done to the cotton crop by the red ])ug {Dysdercus, probably sutnrelli(s) 

 and the chenille {Aletia xylina). Within the past two or three years, 

 however, several of the islands have taken up the subject, with or with- 

 out governmental support, and there is now a rapidly increasing spirit 

 of investigation. 



Jamaica. — In theappointmentof Mr. T.U. A. Cock erell, a well-known 

 entomologist, to the office of curator of the Institute of Jamaica, at Kings- 

 ton, it was specially desired that the appointee should conduct investi- 

 gations in economic entomology and answer all correspondence in this 

 direction which might come in from planters. Upon taking charge of 

 his new office, in June, 1891, Mr. Cockerell was immediately struck by 

 the extraordinary abundance of scale insects in Jamaica, and their im- 

 portance as enemies to many cultivated plants. With his accustomed 

 energy he at once undertook the study of these insects, and has since 

 published many papers about them, which have been contributions to 

 knowledge. He started an interesting series of stylographic notes, 

 manily about injurious insects, disseminated much information on this 

 subject among the planters, and fostered an interest in the study which 

 it is to be hoped will not die out. He was succeeded in office in June, 

 1893, by Mr. C. H. Tyler Townseud, formerly an assistant in the Divi- 

 sion of Entomology, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and entomologist 

 to the State Agricultural Experiment Station of New Mexico, who, dur- 

 ing the short time of his residence in Jamaica, followed in the lines laid 

 down by Mr. Cockerell, and published a number of very interesting 

 notes, both in the journal of the Institute and in the stylographic series 

 of notes, which he continued. Mr. Townsend resigned in May of the 

 present year, and we have not heard that his successor has been ap- 

 pointed. 



Leeward Islands. — Although no officially designated entomologist 

 is employed by the Leeward Islands, Mr. C. A. Barber, superintendent 

 of agriculture for these islands, is a well-informed man, a trained bota- 

 nist, and fully alive to the importance of entomological work. He has 

 . conducted some important investigations on the sugar-cane shot-borer 

 and other sugar-cane insects, which have been published in the Leeward 

 Islands Gazette. 



Trinidad. — No official recognition of economic entomology has yet 

 been reached in this island, but a very active organization, known as 

 the Trinidad Field Naturalists' Club, has been established, which 

 is well worth mention in this connection, since its president, Mr. 

 H. Caracciolo, and its secretary, Mr. F. W. Urich, have interested 



