INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



345 



INTEENATIONAL CONGEESS OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



The fir3fc Congress was held at Brussels in 1910, and the second met 

 at Oxford in August 1912, under the presidency of Professor E. B. 

 Poulton, D.Sc, F.E.S., and was attended by leading entomologists 

 from all parts of the world, including eighty-eight from Great Britain 

 and Ireland, eighteen from the United States, thirteen from Germany, 

 nine from Belgium, six from France, and four each from Holland, 

 Hungary, and Spain. The other countries represented were Austria, 

 Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Egypt, and the Sandwich Islands. In 

 addition, there were official representatives of the Colonial Office and 

 the Government of India; also of Canada, the Australasian States, 

 Borneo, British East Africa, and of various Societies in this country. 

 The Eoyal Horticultural Society was represented by Sir Daniel Morris, 

 K.O.M.G., D.Sc, V.M.H., &c. 



The Congress was opened in the University Museum at Oxford 

 on August 5 with an interesting address by the Pres-ident, in which 

 he devoted attention to the many processes by which a species by 

 natural selection seeks to maintain its place in the insect world. 



Ten papers were presented dealing with the insect pests of cultivated 

 plants. As mentioned in the retrospect published in the Times, in 

 none of the sections " was greater interest shown than in the Economic 

 and Pathological, where methods of combating insects destructive 

 to agriculture, horticulture, and forests were dealt with by many dele- 

 gates appointed by the Colonial and foreign Governments." A paper 

 on " The Necessary Investigation with Eelation to Insect and Fungus 

 Enemies of Plants Preliminary to Legislation " was presented by 

 Mr. A. G. L. Eogers (officer in charge of the Horticultural Branch of 

 the Department of Agriculture), and led to an interesting discussion. 

 Mr. Eogers' practical suggestions were accepted by the Congress, 

 which unanimously resolved to support the proposed formation by the 

 International Institute of Agriculture at Eome of an International 

 Commission to deal with the problem as the best means to secure the 

 greatest amount of protection with the least injury to international 

 trade in national products. 



From the horticultural point of view, and as a practical demonstra- 

 tion of the place of bionomics (the study of the life history) in economic 

 entomology, a paper on " Aphides Attacking Cultivated Peas " deserves 

 notice. (See p. 256.) In this, Professor F. V. Theobald, F.E.S., 

 pointed out that the suspected pea pests of the genus Macrosiphurn , 

 the green dolphin of peas, contained more species than was supposed, 

 and a study of the life history revealed the fact that the earlier phases 

 of the pest were passed upon clover. In addition to garden peas, the 

 pest also occurs on Lathyrus (the everlasting pea). In regard to treat- 

 ment, Professor Theobald stated that spraying with soft soap and 



