Seed- Testing Conference at Hamburg. 
267 
degree of moisture of the germinating apparatus, the soaking 
of seeds previous to germinating, the temperature, presence of 
light for certain seeds, length of the test, &c. The opinions 
expressed in the discussion dealt very thoroughly with the 
subject, though they differed on minor points, like sterilisation 
of the apparatus, influence of light, &c. 
Dr. Allerberg, of Kalmar, gave an account of germinating 
newly harvested seeds of grain crops. It is a well-known fact 
that such seeds grow very unsatisfactorily when tested imme- 
diately after harvest. He succeeded, however, in producing 
a normal growth by germinating the seeds under low tem- 
perature, or after drying them for a few days in a temperature 
of 104° F. 
With the view of organising researches in regard to the 
questions raised at the conference, a Committee was appointed 
to report to a further conference to be held in a year or two. 
Hans Th. Giissow. 
The Laboratory, 
44 Central Hill, Norwood, S.E. 
ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1906 OF THE 
ZOOLOGIST. 
Introduction. 
The past year, though not marked by the special prevalence 
of any one pest, has been noteworthy for the wide range which 
the applications received by the Zoologist have covered. There 
are very few of the more ordinary injurious insects which have 
not been complained of in some quarter, while advice has also 
been asked with regard to several of a less usual description. 
Questions concerning many fruit pests have been dealt 
with, but the points which seem most worthy of mention are 
the continued spread of the destructive pear midge, and the 
occurrence in a very severe form of an attack by the currant 
bud moth {Incur v aria capitella ), a pest to which attention is 
not very frequently directed. 
Recent discoveries with regard to the spread of certain 
diseases of domesticated animals through the agency of their 
external parasites, and especially by the Acarines known as 
ticks, have made it incumbent on all those concerned with 
economic zoology to study that little-known group, and a great 
deal of time has been devoted to their investigation. It has 
been thought appropriate to give some account of these animals 
in the following Report. 
