• Nov. 1, 190G.1 THE TROPICAL 
OUR PEARL FISHERIES. 
We are specially gratified to find that 
His Excellency the Governor and Mr. Cham- 
berlain have dealt so promptly with Sir Wm. 
Twynam's special Report on the Pearl 
Fisheries, and that the result is to secure 
BO long and useful a Report from the Director 
of the Matural History Department of tlie 
British Museum. The whole Correspondence 
will be found elsewhere. Professor Ray 
Lankester, as is natural, rather magnifies 
the "mission" which he recommends should 
be taken up ; and while we concede its 
importance, we cannot see why a Scientist 
who would be allowed to continue his four 
months' professorial work in England, each 
year, should, besides all expenses, have so 
handsome an allowance as £1,000 a year, con- 
sidering the local staff that would inevitably be 
necessary. Still, if the desired work could be 
accomplished within three years, this amount 
shouldf not be grudged to a first-class man, 
and we shoiild suppose that Professor Hex-d- 
man of Liverpool (whom we met m the 
Isle of Man four years ago when he was 
leading a section of the British Association) 
stands in the very first rank, having given 
special attention to oysters and oyster 
fisheries. We are a little disappointed that 
no reference is made to Professor Saville 
Kent, who has done so much valuable 
work around the Australian coasts on 
the fisheries, including those of oysters 
for pearl shells and pearls, and also has pub- 
lished (at three guineas a copy) a very 
elaborate, illustrated volume with the results 
of his labours. But, of course. Professor 
Herdman must be acquainted with all that 
has been attained in that direction. It is 
especially encouraging to learn from Pro- 
fessor Lankester that Mr. Holdsworth who 
came out for five years during the adminis- 
tration of Sir Hercules Robinson was not 
the right man in the right place, since he 
was not a trained Scientist, but only acquain- 
ted with sea-fishing as a sportsman! 
(Those were assuredly the days when "jobs" 
were freely perpetrated by the Colonial 
Office and Sir Hercules Robinson had his 
full share of them, e.g. when he wanted a 
trained expert to reform and supervise the 
- Prisons of the Colony, a retired R. N. 
Captain, son of a peer, was sent out to him !) 
Dr. Lankester would have emphasised his 
opinion as to the utter failure of the 
"Holdsworth" Mission, had he recalled the 
fact that that gentleman never had the 
food fortune to witness a Pearl 
'ishery while in Ceylon ! We there- 
fore sincerely hope that the Council of 
the Royal Society may recommend, and 
the Government appoint, Professor Herdman, 
F.B.S., (or Professor Saville Kent) to come 
to Ceylon on a Three Years' Mission, and we 
only trust that the four months' Professorial 
duty at Liverpool may not clash with the 
best period of the year— February to May 
—for inspecting and working on our Pearl 
Oyster Banks. It is of special importance 
that the Scientist, whoever he may be, 
should have the practical help, and the 
' benefit of all the vast experience, of Capt. 
Donnan, while Sir Wm. Twynman can also 
AGRICULTURIST. : 34i 
be referred to on moot points. Under these 
auspices we should certainly anticipate valu- 
able practical results from such a Mission as 
Professor Ray Lankester recommends and we 
hope it may be arranged for in time for the 
api)roaching working season at the Pearl 
Banks :— February-May, 1901. 
MALIGNED MOSQUITOS. 
THEY AVERE NOT MADE TO PREY ON HUMAN 
BEINGS. 
Some interesting information about mosquitos has 
been recently issued by the United States Department 
of Agriculture. It is not much consolation to those 
who are subject to the irritating attacks of these in- 
sects to know that in the opinion^of Dr. Howard, the 
entomologist, the mosquito was not made to prey on 
human beings or any other warm-blooded animal. The 
fact remains that he does it. Besides being a nuisance 
the mosquito delights in intoxicating beverages. A 
male mosquito has been observed sipping beer, and a 
number of them — again males, be it noted — placed 
under a bell jar with a single drop of port wine became 
hopelessfy intoxicated staggering about in aridiculoua 
manner. 
It is only fair to the mosquito to say that the latter 
was an experiment by Prof. A E Schwartz. There are 
bad mosquitos and those that are worse. But the 
worst of all seem to belong to a part of America 
(unnamed) where some soldiers were forced to sleep 
with their heads thrust into holes in the earth and their 
necks wrapped round with their hammocks. It is com- 
forting to know that mosquitos cannot fly long dis- 
tances though they may be carried 15 miles by a strong 
wind. This at least keeps them to circjjmscribed 
areas. 
Numerous methods of combating and destroying 
these pests are mentioned such as pouring kerosene 
over marshy districts where they breed, the placing of 
carp in these marshes to destroy their eggs. In New 
.Jersey a primitive but effective system is in vogue. A 
baking-powder box is nailed on the top of a long stick 
and some kerosene poured in. The merry householder 
then scans the ceiling and pushes the cup under the 
resting mosquito into which it soon falls — a victim of 
the Standard Oil Trust. — Morning Leader, Sept. 21. 
ELEPHANTS IN MADRAS. 
Twenty-live elephants were captured in the 
Madras Presidency during the year ending the .30th 
June last, which is the larg;est catch on record. 
Of these, six died, and of the 25 captures, 18 were 
iu North Malabar. All the live elephants captured 
in South Coimbatore died, owinfi;, it is said, to 
the extreme heat and want of suitable fodder con- 
sequent on the iprolonged drought on the Ana- 
malais. Besides elephants, 2S bison, 1 pig, 1 bear, 
19 sambhnr, 1 tiger and 1 wild sheep also fell 
into the pits. Of these, 8 died or were shot, while 
the rest either escaped or were released. One of 
the men engaged in shooting the bear accidentally 
fell into the pit, and was so badly mauled that 
he died soon afterwards.— Marfras Mail, Oct. 12, 
PRODUCE AND PLANTING. 
Eegulatino Supplies. — We regret to learn thai 
owing to a want of unanimity the committee of the 
Indian Tea Association has resolved that it is not 
practicable this season to continue the arrangements 
for regulating the quantity of tea to be brought for- 
ward weekly, and therefore the responsibility will 
rest upon the brokers to advise their respeotiva 
merchants as to aelliog ok holding back ^supplies. 
