0. ficus-indicus, Mill., group {i.e., 0. deoumana, 

 according to Burkill) was seen growing in the 

 Gardens. 



Owing to the courtesy of the Director, the 

 Commission was afforded opportunity for study- 

 ing the specimens growing in the Gardens, as 

 well as those contained in the Herbarium, and 

 for consulting many important works of refer- 

 ence. He, moreover, furnished it with letters of 

 introduction to prominent workers in other parts 

 of the world interested in the problems connected 

 with the mission. 



A visit was paid to the Government 

 Entomologist, Mr. W. W. Froggatt, F.L.S., who 

 had lately travelled in countries whej:e Prickly- 

 pear is indigenous or naturalised, but as he had 

 not given attention to it no information of value 

 relating to the purposes of the Commission was 

 obtained. 



JAVA. 



The voyage to Ceylon and India was made 

 via Java, where some inquiries were instituted 

 whilst awaiting an opportunity to resume the 

 journey. 



It was known that in 1828 a cochineal insect 

 had been introduced into Java, the industry 

 associated with its culture being maintained until 

 1865, and that at least one species of Opuntia, 

 Nopalea cochinelifera, had been established for 

 its propagation. It was, therefore, considered 

 advisable to ascertain the variety of cochineal 

 insect introduced and its influence on the host 

 species of Prickly-pear. At the same time 

 inquiries bearing on the possibility of utilising 

 the plant, as well as the occurrence of Opuntia 

 diseases, &c., were not lost sight of. In this 

 work the Commission received every assistance 

 from the Government officers at Buitenzorg, 

 including Dr. H. J. Lovinck, the Director of 

 Agriculture ; Dr. J. C. Konigsberger, the Director 

 of the Botanical Gardens ; and Dr. T. H. Valeton, 

 the chief of the Herbarium. 



It was learnt from old records that the 

 insect and its host plant, N. cochinelifera, were 

 introduced from Cadiz in 1828 by J. Bisck 

 At some time prior to 1847 there had been 

 imported into Java a second Prickly-pear, which 

 de Froideville referred to as Cactus tuna L., but 

 which was known locally as Nopalea doerie or 

 "etang-etang" — a form possessing long thorns 

 and used as a hedge plant. 



There seems to be little doubt but that the 

 insects introduced were the true cochineal. 

 Coccus cacti L., which are not injurious to their 

 host plant. In support of this belief it might be 

 mentioned that their source was Cadiz, to which 

 place the " grana fina" insect had been brought 

 eight years previously (1820) from Mexico 

 (Burkill, 1911, p. 304). Two living insects cared 

 for by de Seriere constituted the basis of the 

 industry which up to 1865 yielded a commercial 

 product of considerable value. The experi- 

 mental area for the growth of the Nopalea and 

 the cochineal in connection with the Buitenzorg 

 Botanical Gardens was situated on the Tjidam 

 River, but operations ceased there about 1867. 

 That the wild cochineal insect {Grana sylvestre) 

 had not become established in Java may be 



inferred from the fact that de Froideville in 

 writing of the injurious insects of the Nopals, 

 makes no mention of it. 



Having discovered, from these old records, 

 the places in Java where the cochineal mdustry 

 formerly thrived, and where possibly the insect 

 still survived, one of these (Krawang) was visited 

 by a member of the Commission, with the result 

 that, although examples of the Nopal {N. cocU- 

 nelifera) were still to be met with growing spora- 

 dically there, no cochineal or other insects were 

 found to occur in connection with them. 



In the Buitenzorg Herbarium there are 

 specimens labelled 0. dillenii. Haw., from Batavia 

 (1909) and 0. tuna, Mill., from Bondowoggo 

 (1846) They are both 0. dillenii and no doubt 

 represent the plant referred to by de FroideviUe 

 as Cactus tuna. It was found by inquiry that 

 this species in addition to growing m several 

 places as a hedge plant, was still to be found 

 naturalised to the south of Sourabaya, on sand 

 dunes along the coast near Glendong (Kretig), 

 and in the Preanger Regencies (between Soeka- 

 boemi and Naugela). As there was no evidence 

 of the pear being held in check by any enemy, 

 these localities were not visited during the short 

 period available. 0. dillenii may be met with 

 also along the sea front in the neighbourhood of 

 Batavia. 



The small collection of Caetacese in the 

 Buitenzorg Gardens was examined, but no 

 natural enemy was detected. The humid tropical 

 climate seemed to be prejudicial to aU Opuntias 

 except Nopalea cochinelifera and Opuntia mgri- 

 cans. 



Dr. J. C. Konigsberger pointed out a 

 peculiar natural enemy of the Lantana that 

 occurred in Sumatra, at Deli, and suggested that 

 this occurrence might yield a new outlook in con- 

 nection with the work. This was a weed belong- 

 ing to the composite genus Eupatoria, which 

 grew with great vigour and literally choked the 

 plant in question. 



SINGAPORE. 

 A delay of about twenty-four hours in 

 Singapore, whilst waiting for a boat leaving for 

 Ceylon, gave an opportunity of interviewing Mr. 

 I. H. Burkill, M.A., F.L.S., formerly Economic 

 Botanist to the Botanical Survey of India, but 

 now Director of the Botanic Gardens at Singa- 

 pore. Pie is a Avell-known writer on the Prickly- 

 pears of India, and was able to give information 

 regarding the distribution of the various species 

 occurring there. He stated that 0. monacantha,* 

 which is the main pest pear of Northern India, 

 has been held in check by the Wild Cochineal 

 Insect in certain places that he mentioned. To 

 assist the work of the Commission, he was good 

 enough to suggest an itinerary, indicating the 

 special features of each locality in their bearing 

 on the inquiry. 



MALAY STATES. 



En route to Ceylon, the steamer called into 

 Port Swettenham for a few hours. This gave an 

 opportunity to visit the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment of the Federated Malay States at Kuala 

 Lumpur. The Commission was unable to see the 



♦Mr. Burkill informed the Commission that 0. 

 dUlenii occurs along the coast of Singapore. 



