IV 



another is. And this can only be done by having a fairly complete 

 knowledge of the insects of the country. 



One of the most important reasons for working up the fauna, 

 however, is in connection with the importation of insect pests. For 

 instance, Din-ran t, writing on "Tineina bred from Cotton Bolls" in the 

 " Bulletin of Entomological Research," August 1912, upholds the 

 idea that the pink boll worm was imported into India from Egypt, 

 the exact reverse of the actual fact, and the information which was 

 then available led Dudgeon, in his article on "The Pink Boll Worm" 

 in the " Agricultural Journal of Egypt," 1912, to express the opinion 

 that it had occurred in Egypt for many years, whereas it is now fairly 

 certain that it has been imported between 1903 and 1910. Neither 

 of these mistakes would have been made if the Lepidoptera of the 

 country had previously been properly worked up. If the pink boll 

 worm had been discovered in the original consignments of Indian 

 cotton which brought it to the country, nothing would have been 

 done to prevent its entry if such opinions as the above w'ere possible, 

 whereas if the distribution and history of the pink boll worm had 

 been known as it is now, steps might very easily have been taken to 

 prevent the calamity that the importation of this pest has proved to 

 be. On the other hand, if the fauna of the country is not properly 

 known, much trouble and expanse may be spent on trying to keep 

 out of the country an insect which is a dangerous pest elsewhere, but 

 which as a matter of fact may be already present, occurring in small 

 numbers only, being kept under control by an unfavourable climate 

 or other natural agents. 



For much assistance in the identification of the species in the 

 following list we must express our gratitude particularly to tht 

 Imperial Bureau of Entomology and also to the following specialists : 



Orthoptera : La Baume. 



H vmenoptera : R. du Buysson, G. Meade- Waldo, Rev. F. I). 

 Morice, C. Morley, R. E. Turner, Prof. Gy. S/epligeti. 



Coleoptera : Several local entomologists, particularly G. Ferrante 

 and A. Alfieri. 



Lepidoptera : J. H. Dun-ant, P. P. Graves. 



Thysanoptera : C. B. Williams. 



Diptera : Prof. Becker. 



Rhynchota : W. L. Distant, A. L. Montandon, Prof, R. Newstead, 

 Prof. Van Schouteden. 



