352 



Section. I believe the papers we have heard this morning are 

 among the most interesting in the whole Congress. 



The CHAIRMAN: Is there any other gentleman who would 

 like to ask Mr. Barrett any further questions ? 



M. BRENIER : With reference to the silk, you told us that 

 you obtained about nine broods per annum. May I ask if that 

 is a regular production, because in Indo-China, although we 

 get that, we do not consider it at all a normal production. 

 We consider an average of six broods per annum a very large 

 one. Nine broods is very exceptional. 



Mr. BARRETT : So far as I know, it has gone on for a period 

 of about four years now. 



M. BRENIER: And these silkworms are from Bengal, if I 

 remember rightly ? 



Mr. BARRETT : From Ceylon. 



M. BRENIER : But they came from India really, I suppose, 

 because I do not think that there is a regular silk culture in 

 Ceylon; it has been introduced lately from British India from 

 Bengal, as far as I remember. 



Mr. BARRETT : The silkworms came five or six years ago 

 from Ceylon, and have been bred up until they get, if I am 

 not mistaken, nine broods a year. The Philippines are very 

 pleased, and a great many companies are planting mulberries 

 as rapidly as possible. The product brings a better price in 

 the market than Chinese silk; it has exceeded all their most 

 sanguine expectations. 



M. BRENIER: You have no customs dues on silk? 



Mr. BARRETT : I think there is a heavy duty. 



M. BRENIER : That may explain why it is preferred to 

 Chinese silk. 



The CHAIRMAN: Well, gentlemen, this is a most interesting- 

 paper, and I should be very sorry to cut short any discussion 

 of it, but time is passing, and there are other papers to be 

 read. Before proceeding to those we will, I think, give Mr. 

 Barrett our hearty thanks for a most interesting paper. 



ELEPHANT DOMESTICATION IN THE BELGIAN CONGO. 



By Captain LAPLUME, 1 

 Director of the Elephant Training Station, Api (Uele}. 



[ABSTRACT.] 



The Congo Government decided in 1899 to capture and to 

 try to domesticate African elephants. 



A training station was erected at Api in Uele (Northern 



1 Communicated by M. E. Leplae. 



