54 



we spent the morning among the native gardens, and collected some fruit- 

 Hies of another species. Mr. Howlett remained at Lucknow and Allahabad, 

 so accompanied by his man I went on that night to Derha Don, the 

 headquarters of the Forestry Department, where Mr. Stebbing is Forest 

 Entomologist. I saw the museum, but Mr. Stebbing was away on tour. 



Returned to Allahabad, met Mr. Howlett, and went on to Pusa and met 

 the officers of the Imperial Research Laboratories. Here Mr. H. Maxwell 

 Lefroy, Imperial Entomologist, placed the whole staff at my service, and 

 with Mr. Howlett carried on a lot of experiments with fruit-flies, which 

 are very numerous in this part of India. We found that citronella oil had 

 a wonderful attraction for two species of fruit-flies (Dacus), but that none 

 of the melon flies (Dacus cticurbifte) ever came to the oil. We also collected 

 many specimens, bred others, and compared all the specimens in the entomo- 

 logical collections. The Pusa Research Laboratories are supported by the 

 Government of India, and are fitted up with all the latest improvements. 

 The staff had just removed from their temporary quarters into the new 

 building ; it consists of two stories, in which all the laboratories are placed. 

 The entomological laboratories are very well fitted up, and have very extensive 

 collections ; these are all kept in teak boxes placed in racks around the 

 walls. There is also a very fine insectarium in the grounds, and a silkworm 

 house. The staff consists of Mr. H. Maxwell Lefroy, Imperial Entomologist ; 

 Mr. Mason, Assistant ; and Mr. Howlett, Special Imperial Entomologist, to 

 work at diptera, biting flies, &c., ranking as second Imperial Entomologist. 

 There are eight native assistants, six artists, one engraver, a clerk, and a 

 number of attendants. The insectarium has an officer-in-charge, with artists 

 and assistants. 



In each Province there is also a Department of Agriculture, where there is 

 usually a native entomologist attached to the staff. At Madras we visited 

 the Provincial Department of Agriculture. Mr. T. V. Ramahrishna Aiyar 

 is in charge of the entomological work, and has several assistants in his 

 office, where there is a fine collection of economic entomology. These pro- 

 vincial entomologists, to a certain degree, work with the Imperial entomolo- 

 gists. They look up all local pests and furnish reports and specimens of any 

 serious pest for them. 



I went over the plantation where lac insects have been introduced and are 

 doing very well. It is expected that this will be a very profitable industry 

 if the insects once obtain a footing in the jungle. They are also carrying 

 out a number of experiments in cultivating the Indian Silkworm Moth 

 (Attacus rictwf), which feeds upon the castor-oil plant, a food plant that 

 grows very freely on all waste land. 



After a very interesting time at Pusa, accompanied by Mr. Howlett, 

 I left on the 16th June for Calcutta, reaching there on the following 

 morning. We found the Director of Agriculture away, but went on to the 

 India Museum, where Dr. Allingham placed all the collections of Diptera in 

 our hands, and we went carefully through the fruit-flies and other economic 

 specimens. L-aving the same night we reached Madras early the second 

 morning, and after visiting the Department of Agriculture, where Mr. Aiyar 

 joined us, left for Bangalore the same night. 



At Bangalore we spent five days among the orchards and public gardens, 

 collecting infested fruits, and catching fruit-flies with citronella oil. It was 

 in this locality that the West Australian Entomologist collected all the para- 

 sites he sent to Perth last year ; he stated that fruit-fly was very rare in 

 Bangalore, but our experience proved that fruit-flies are as abundant in this 

 district as any place in India. Mr. Aiyar, who had bred many of the fruit-fly 



