THE PRICKLY PEAR. 
. The extreme seriousness of the prickly pear pest to Australia to- 
day, and the certainty that the area of land thrown out of profitable 
occupation will continue to, greatly increase. year by year, has led the 
Institute to make these arrangements for the fullest investigation of the 
possibility of checking the spread of the plant by employing parasitic 
organisms. ‘The Executive does not expect immediate and complete 
success. It feels, however, that until every possible means of fighting 
the pest has been thoroughly.tested the country should not be handed 
over to the pear. ‘The facts quoted above, which form only the briefest 
résumé of the principal features embodied in the Travelling Commis- 
sion’s report, suggest. the possibility of success. Every precaution will 
be taken against the introduction of pests harmful to any plant but: the. 
variety of prickly pear it is intended to attack. All importations will 
be made under the strictest safeguards, and breeding operations will be 
earefully controtled. 
Professor R. D. Watt, a member of the executive committee of the 
Institute, is making a trip to Great Britain and the United States of 
America. While in London he will represent the Commonwealth at the 
conference to be held under the auspices of the Imperial Bureau of 
Entomology. While in the United States of America Professor Watt 
will investigate, on behalf of the Institute, methods of utilizing prickly 
pear as food for cattle. 
Professor Fawsitt, who is a member of the New South Wales com- 
mittee of the Institute, and Professor Lawson have obtained leave of 
absence from the University of Sydney, and will visit Great Britain. 
