y20 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



possible hosts, which factors are essential for a successful attempt 

 to eradicate the disease. As things are at present in India, an expensive 

 scientific method is not likely to be popidar amongst the rearers who 

 would naturally go in for eggs which are cheap and reasonably free from 

 disease. Let us hope that in the near future new methods of detection 

 of pebrine, backed by legislation, may help us in successfully combating 

 this terrible disease. It will be only then that India will regain her 

 former position amongst the great silk-producing countries of the 

 world. 



I would like to make a few remarks on the observations made by 

 Mr. De on the pebrine diseases of silkworms in his paper. I had intended 

 to deal with it more in detail as Mr. De had brought forward many 

 observations with which I did not agree. But, as we have already had 

 the advantage of listening to the instructive lecture of Mr. C. M. 

 Hutchinson on the same subject I think it will be unnecessary for me 

 to bring forward again some -of those points before you. In the first 

 place I camiot possibly be expected to explain them as the learned 

 speaker had stated. Besides, I think sufficient light has been thrown 

 on most of the important points in connection with the advantages of 

 the gut examination of moths. I would therefore confine myself to 

 pointing out some points which I have observed in the course of my 

 practical experience in the nurseries under my supervision. 



Mr. De in his paper has stated that in Bengal we do not follow, strictly 

 speakmg, the Pasteur system of the examination of moths. He lays 

 the blame on us on the ground that we use paper for crushing the moths 

 instead of using pestles and mortars for the same purpose. I am not 

 aware that there is any cogent reason for making this assertion, for, 

 if I am not mistaken, what Pasteur stated was that the moths should 

 be sufficiently crushed. In one of his Bulletins Mr. De has clearly stated 

 that the crushing should be done with paper. This again he wrote 

 while describing the Pasteur system. It seems that since the publica- 

 tion of his Bulletin he has changed his opinion. But simply on 

 account of his change in views I cannot see any justification in asserting 

 that in Bengal the system adopted in the nurseries is not the Pasteur 

 system simply because we do happen to have substituted paper for 

 pestles and mortars. So far as my experience goes I have not found 

 that the use of paper has been a great drawback for crushing the moths 

 sufficiently well and I do not think that it will help us in any other way 

 than by introducing a more laborious and uneconomical process. Regard- 

 ing the opinion expressed by Monsieur Lambert in his letter to 

 Mr. De, I am of opinion that M. Lambert probably did not consider the 

 conditions under which we have to labour in India. M. Lambert ex- 



