VI. 



his attention to the Presidencies of Bombay and Madras and to the State of 

 Mysore. South Africa was reached via the east coast of Africa. Here most 

 of the time was spent in the infested regions of the eastern and south-eastern 

 portions of the Cape Province. 



The Canary Islands were toured while we were en route to Europe. 



In order to economise time, it was decided to divide the work in the 

 Mediterranean littoral, just as had been done in India. The Commissioners 

 therefore separated after leaving Spain, one proceeding to Sicily and Italy and 

 thence to England, where inquiries regarding utilisation were instituted, while his 

 colleague travelled through the Barbary States, Malta, and Syria {via Egypt), 

 returning to England via Italy and Germany. 



The United States were then visited, and its chief cactus regions examined 

 for the presence of any agents controlhng the spread of prickly-pear there. 

 From that country the Commissioners travelled each by a different route to 

 the West Indies, where, after some preUminary inquiries, it was decided to 

 again divide forces, one member to more thoroughly investigate matters in these 

 islands while the other instituted inquiry in South America. 



The Commissioners met again in San Francisco, and left for Australia, 

 via Honolulu, where some investigations were made while awaiting a steamer 

 for Sydney, the latter port being reached on 27th April. We arrived in Brisbane 

 at the end of that month. 



As was to be expected from the nature of the work, a very large amount 

 of time was necessarily spent in travelling. The duration 'of the stay in any 

 particular country or island depended to some extent on the frequency of 

 means of communication between it and others. 



The itinerary, just indicated briefly, allowed the carrying out of investi- 

 gations in countries where prickly-pears occurred as exotics and in those in which 

 these plants exist as indigenous plants. In the former, it was already known 

 to the Commission that they covered, more or less continuously, large areas, 

 and were in some districts objects of cultivation ; hence it was anticipated 

 that, as usually happens with economic plants under similar conditions, natural 

 enemies would have become manifest amongst them in some place or other. 

 It was expected that the prickly-pears growing in their proper homes would 

 harbour injurious insects or diseases, as native plants commonly do. Besides, 

 collections of growing opuntias, in which there had been brought together 

 plants emanating from various parts of the world, were inspected, with the 

 hope that the enemies which affect them in those regions, had been transported 

 along with them to their new homes. 



As might be inferred, the literature relating to the opuntias, although 

 very scattered, is most extensive, and, moreover, deals with these plants from 

 every point of view. Accordingly much time was devoted to searching it in 

 order to ascertain channels in which the inquiry might be undertaken with 

 promise of results. The list of works of reference appended to the report, and 

 those cited in that section of it dealing with our work in India, will indicate 

 to what extent this has been drawn upon. 



Moreover, many authorities identified with researches bearing directly 

 or indirectly on the subject of our inquiry were interviewed, and their opinions 

 and advice sought ; but since it was not practicable to meet some investigators 

 without much delay, their experience and counsel could not be availed of to the 

 extent hoped for. These inquiries and consultations occupied considerable time 

 and involved visits, sometimes necessarily repeated, to various libraries, educa- 

 tional and scientific institutions, administrative and other official departments 

 &c. 



