91 



ing it from Porto Eico. A variety of this latter 

 species, D. echtnooacH opuntice, Ckll., is known to 

 be present m Jamaica (C.I, p. ^) . A species of 

 _ Loccus near C. confusus is recorded in C I (p 

 42) as coming from Barbados. From informa- 

 tion obtained by the Commission it was ascer- 

 tained that the specimens on which this record 

 was based were obtained in Antigua and sent to 

 Washington, D.C., via Barbados. A species of 

 Margarodes, identified by Cockerell as M formi- 

 carmm, was taken on the roots of Cereus sp in 

 Mfontserrat_(C.I., p. 41). The true cochineal, 

 Loccus each, L., was at one time introduced into 

 the West Indies (C.I., p. 42), but its occurrence 

 there at the present time is not noted. 



JAMAICA. 

 _ A very short visit was paid to Kingston, the 

 capital of the island, where Mr. Cousins, the 

 • Director of Agriculture, and Mr. Wm. Harris, the 

 Government Botanist, gave assistance. 



The prickly-pears* seen growing commonly 

 m the neighbourhood of the city were 0. dillenii 

 and 0. tuna, the former being more abundant 

 nearer the sea. These two species are closelv 

 related, but the latter possesses rather long 

 straight thorns, which soon become white, whereas 

 those of 0. dillenii are usually curved and remain 

 yellow, though they may darken somewhat with 

 age.. Schumann (1899, p. 724) regarded them as 

 being the same, but Dr. Britton has satisfactorily 

 differentiated them. They are readily distin- 

 guished from one another in their native habitat, 

 both commonly growing side by side. In addition 

 to these two, there is a third and rarer species, 0. 

 jamaicensis, Britton and Harris, specimens of 

 which were pointed out in the Botanic Gardens 

 by Mr. Harris. It resembles O. tuna in many 

 of its characters, but possesses a definite stem. 

 Nopalea cochinelifera grows wild on the island. 



Grisebach in 1864 (p. 301-2) mentioned the 

 occurrence in Jamaica of a Rhipsalis, several 

 species of Cereus, and of the following. Opuntias 

 — 0. tuna, 0. ficus-indica, 0. cochinelifera, and 0. 

 spinosissima. Mill., the last-named being reported 

 as common on the dry southern savannas. 



Destruction hy Insect and Fungoid Enemies. 

 Mr. Harris was not aware of the presence of 

 any pest controlling the spread of Opuntias. Shot- 

 hole, due to the fungus Glososporium lunatum, 

 was seen by the Commission on the following 

 — 0. tuna, 0. dillenii, and 0. jamaicensis, but in 

 no instance was it causing any serious injury to 

 the attacked plants. 



Wild cochineal. Coccus confusus newsteadi, 

 was found in some abundance on Nopalea cochi- 

 nelifera in the Botanic Gardens, where it pro- 

 duced a local chlorosis, though its fuU activity 

 appeared to be prevented by the presence of 

 various parasites. Scale insects (Diaspis sp.) 

 were found on the Nopalea as well as on 0. dil- 

 lenii, but, as elsewhere, did not exert any marked 

 harmful effect except when very numerous, and 

 then a local chlorosis was observed. In.iuries 

 resembling those caused in Texas by Mimorista 

 flavidissimalis were seen on .ioints of 0. dillenii 



* Cactaceaa other than prickly-pears were seen on 

 nearly all the islands visited, but, as a rule, little attention 

 was given to them. 



and 0. megacantha in cultivation, the latter 

 species being closely related to the "Westwood" 

 pear of the Roekhampton district, Queensland. In 

 segments of the former species there was noted 

 the presence of tunnels, due to some unidentified 

 boring insect. 



Cacti were not utilised in the island in such 

 a way as would destroy them. A tall native 

 Cereus, Lemaireocereus hystrix, called the 

 "Dildo," is sometimes used for making hedges. 



TRINIDAD. 



The few hours that the steamer stayed in 

 Port of Spain did not allow of investigations 

 being carried out. The northern and more moun- 

 tainous part of the island has a moist climate, 

 such as is imsuitable for the development of a 

 rich Opuntia flora. The southern regions are 

 much drier, but there was no opportunity to visit 

 those localities. In the neighbourhood of the 

 capital, the only prickly-pear seen growing was 

 Nopalea cochinelifera, all the plants noticed being 

 in cultivation. 



BARBADOS. 



Interviews were held with the Commissioner, 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture, Dr. Francis 

 Watts, C.M.G., as well as two members of his staff, 

 Mr. H. A. Ballou, the Entomologist, and Mr. F. 

 N. South, the Mycologist. Besides, personal in- 

 vestigations were prosecuted in the country im- 

 mediately around Bridgetown, and at spots along 

 the sea-coast of the island. 



The Commissioner himself, who had already 

 been interviewed in London, had not hitherto 

 directed his observation to the sub.iect of prickly- 

 pear plants and their enemies. He, however, 

 called attention to certain literature bearing on 

 the distribution of the different species in the 

 West Indies — the Windward Island especially — 

 drew up an itinerary for visiting several of them, 

 and arranged for assistance on the part of mem- 

 bers of his staff resident on those islands whose 

 agricultural interests were the concern of his 

 office. 



The Entomologist, Mr. Ballou, stated that he 

 had especially examined prickly-pear plants for 

 the presence of scale insects, especially the wild 

 cochineal Coccus confusus newsteadi, but had not 

 found it. The only parasite which he had seen 

 was a species of Diaspis. Mr. South, who had not 

 been long on the island, had not observed the 

 occurrence of any disease on local Opuntias. 



The island of Barbados is almost entirely 

 devoted to agriculture, so that little of the native 

 vegetation is still to be found. Within the culti- 

 vated area one may see occasional plants of Nopa- 

 lea cochinelifera and a species resembling 0. dil- 

 lenii, the former grown apparently on account of 

 its reputed medicinal value, and the latter used 

 as a hedge plant and seen at times as an escapee. 

 All along the rocky easterly coast the latter 

 species may be seen growing more or less after 

 the manner of native vegetation. At the extreme 

 north of the island there are small but dense 

 patches of this Opuntia growing on the barren 

 soil which thinly covers the coral rock. This plant 

 is very like 0. dillenii, and has been regarded as 

 belonging to that species. It seems, however, to 



