PEOCEKDINGS OF THE THIBD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



at Poena in December 1917 and, among other subjects discussed, was this 

 question of Sectional Meetings, regarding which the Board passed the 

 following Resolution : — 



" That meetings of the entomological sections be 



held in years in which there is no meeting of the Board of 

 Agriculture, and that these should not be con fined to members 

 of the agricultural department but others interested in these 

 subjects be invited to attend." 

 This Resolution of the Board has been approved by the Government 

 of India and the present Meeting is the result of definite orders that such 

 conferences are to be held henceforth at fairly definite intervals. The 

 Resolution which I have just read, as you see, states definitely that they 

 are to be " held in years in which there is no meeting of the Board of 

 Agriculture." Now, the Board of Agriculture meets every second year, 

 sometime in the cold weather between November and February inclusive, 

 so this Resolution, if strictly interpreted, indicates that Entomological 

 Meetings also are to be biennial events in future. Their order of fre- 

 quency, however, is perhaps a matter which we can settle for ourselves 

 if we desire to do so and go about it in a formal manner. I use the word 

 " formal " deliberately, because, as I said just now, this Meeting is on a 

 more official basis than previous ones and because I think there will be 

 certain advantages if we adopt slightly more formality in this and subse- 

 quent Meetings. I do not wish for a moment to imply that there is any 

 idea of stifling discussion at these Meetings. We are all met here with 

 the very object of mutual discussion. But there are a few things which 

 we might perhaps do more formally, partly with the idea of saving time 

 at the general meetings and partly with the idea of giving more force 

 to our collective opinion on any subject. I propose therefore to appoint 

 Committees to report on any subjects which may be usefully considered 

 in this way in order that they may draw up and present to the Meeting 

 reports which may form useful bases for discussion. I also propose, 

 in cases where a subject is of sufficient importance and there is a clear 

 preponderance of considered opinion after discussion regarding it, 

 that such subject may form matter for a Resolution of the Meeting 

 regarding it. If for example there is a consensus of opinion regarding 

 the order of frequency of our Meetings, the best way to give it expression 

 would be by a formal Resolution, which would doubtless be duly consi- 

 dered by Government. You might consider this during the Meeting and 

 at its close give your views regarding the next meeting, its duration, 

 the date and place at which it should be held. As you know, the Board 

 of Agriculture is a peripatetic body, meeting biennially, alternately at 

 Pusa and in one of the Provinces. Hitherto, we have met at Pusa 



