472 



rnOCEEDINGS OF THE THIRH ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



If the top-shoot is attacked, the tip is destroyed in any case and it 

 may as well be clipped off. 



If the top-shoot is cut off there is a danger of its falling down, but 

 if it is simply squeezed and the contained larva squashed, this danger is 

 obviated. 



18.— THE PINK BOLLWORM IN EGYPT. 



By Lewis H. Gough, Ph.D., F.E.S., Director of the Entomological Service, 

 Ministry of Agriculture, Egypt. 



There can be no doubt whatever that the Pink Bollworm is a recent 

 introduction into Egypt, and there is very little doubt that it found 

 its way there from India. The«date of its introduction lies between 

 the years 1903 and 1910. The first specimens of the insect were seen 

 by Mr. Willcocks, Entomologist to the Khedivial Agricultural Society, 

 in 1910. Mr. Adolf Andres, who later on was Mr. Willcocks' Assistant, 

 also claims to have, had specimens in the same year. Our records date 

 back to 1911, the year when we started work in Egypt. 



The first records available are all grouped around Alexandria, and 

 in the north of the Delta. The first really severe outbreak was on the 

 Abukir Estate, near Alexandria, in 1912. 



The reason why all the earlier records are grouped in this way is 

 without doubt connected with the first importations. Table I shows 

 the quantities of Indian cotton imported from 1903 to 1913. This 

 cotton was required for spinning by the spinning mills at Alexandria, 

 being somewhat cheaper than the Egyptian, and being required for 

 the manufacture of yarns for muslin weaving in Turkey. 



Incidentally, the importation of the rather badly ginned Indian 

 cotton could have been prevented under a law passed in 1907, prohi- 

 biting the importation of cotton seed. But the law was not considered 

 by those concerned to be applicable to the few seeds found in bales of 

 cotton. One of the first difficulties which arose in connection with 

 the Plant Importation Law of 1913 was in connection with the same 

 point, and as the legal authorities could not see their way to prohibit 

 the importation of, or to condemn, faulty bales, the law had to be with- 

 drawn and replaced by Law I of 1916, which prohibits the importa- 

 tion of ginned cotton altogether. It appears that it was not considered 

 possible to consider whole bales as contraband on account of their con- 

 taining contraband in the form of seeds. 



It was during the exercise of supervision under the law of 1913 that 

 the method of introduction was actually discovered. The Filature 



