12 THE AGEICULTUKAL PESTS OF INDIA. 



hundred rupees and upwards are given for killing tigers 

 and man-eating leopards, with smaller sums for killing 

 snakes; also, as anthrax, epizootic aphtha, dysentery, 

 and rinderpest carry off the cattle of the cultivators 

 in great numbers, how to ward off these murrains has 

 been a subject of serious thought. In the early part 

 of this century, the pioneer on this line of economic 

 research, Dr. Gilchrist, of the Madras Medical Service, 

 wrote A Practical Treatise on the Treatment of the 

 Diseases of the Elephant, Camel, and Horned Cattle, with 

 Instructions for Preserving their Efficiency, and ever since 

 then the diseases of these animals have been receiving 

 the attention of the Commissariat and Veterinary Depart- 

 ments. The Madras Government has recently appointed 

 an inspector, deputy-inspector, and local inspectors of 

 cattle diseases. This is a useful step, because these 

 domestic animals are the Indian husbandman's sole 

 wealth. But the pecuniary losses from the ravages of 

 animal and vegetable pests on the cultivated products of 

 the country have never yet been made the subject of 

 general inquiry, although seemingly their extent, even in 

 comparatively favourable years, may be estimated at a 

 large share of the gross revenue of the country. A 

 subject of such moment might well have received early 

 attention. Hitherto, however, India has been contenting 

 itself with making references as to individual insects or 

 blights to such persons as may have been deemed likely 

 to furnish information regarding them. But the subject 

 is of far too great importance to be treated in so casual 

 a manner ; and in 1885 I suggested that the special 

 knowledge now available might be utilized to describe 

 the insects which injure the agricultural, horticultural, 

 and forest produce of India. Her Majesty's Secretary of 



