A.—2.

contemplated, these funds are sufficient to cover the overhead expenses only ; and, as the staff will be fully occupied for at least two years in carrying out the programme mentioned in the Director's report, it will be necessary, in the event of a request being made for the supply of other parasites, for the Government concerned to make a grant for the purpose, as additional assistance would then be required. They also observe that although with the assistance obtained from the Empire Marketing Board towards the establishment of the laboratory it is hoped that it will not be necessary, as originally contempleted, to trench upon the surplus balance of the Bureau for this purpose, the ordinary duties of the Bureau will be carried out on the same scale as hitherto, and the annual income provided by the Governments which contribute towards its upkeep will still be necessary to enable the Bureau to perform these duties. 6. I take this opportunity to observe, with reference to paragraph 2 of the despatch under reference, that the India Research Fund Association have agreed to make a grant to the Bureau of £500 for the year 1927-28. I have, &c. (For the Secretary of State), LOVAT. Governor-General His Excellency General Sir G. Fergusson, Bart., LL.D., G.C.M.G., K.C.8., D.5.0., M.V.0., &c.

Enclosure. Report of the Director of the Imperial Bureau of Entomology for the Year ended 31st March, 1927. The outstanding feature of the work of the Bureau during the past year has been the acquisition from the Empire Marketing Board of a grant for the establishment of a Parasite Laboratory, which was formally reported at the last half-yearly meeting of the committee. Satisfactory progress has already been made with this matter, but it was not quite so easy as it at first appeared to find a house that would meet all the rather complex requirements of the case, arid Dr. Neave had to spend a good deal of time in examining various properties. Finally we selected Farnham House, Farnham Royal, Bucks, a fifteen-roomed house standing in about 6| acres of ground. In making this selection we were very kindly assisted by Mr. J. C. F. Fryer, from the point of view of laboratory requirements, and we also received invaluable assistance from two other entomologists, Mr. W. G. Sheldon, of John Greenwood and Co., builders, and Mr. E. C. Bedwell, of Farebrother, Ellis, and Co., surveyors and valuers, who gave us expert advice regarding the structural condition of the buildings, the probable cost of adaptation, and the cost of maintenance. In view of possible future developments Farnham House is rather on the small side, but if we were to pull down an extension which now forms the gardener's cottage we could put up a two-story wing which would provide another eight or ten fair-sized rooms. A detailed statement of all the work that has been done on the house will be found in a report by the Superintendent of the laboratory in Appendix I. The preliminary programme of work that has been arranged is as follows : (1) To ascertain the most effective European parasite of the codlin-moth, for this is likely to be of considerable value to the apple industry in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, &c. ; (2) the export of earwig parasites to Canada and New Zealand ; (3) to discover the natural enemies of the so-called lucerne-flea (Smynthurus vividis), a common and unimportant insect in this country which has already prevented the growing of lucerne in some parts of South Australia, and is beginning to spread ; (4) the export to Canada of parasites of Lecanium caprece, a potential apple pest that has recently established itself in various parts of Canada ; (5) the transmission of the woolly-aphis parasite {Aphelinus mali) to Kenya Colony ; (6) the sending of further consignments of the blowfly parasite (Alysia manduccitor) to Australia and New Zealand. This programme is perhaps already rather too large for our present staff, but we have also received requests for parasites of a small moth that does widespread injury to the foilage of spruce and fir in Canada, and for those of a large timber-boring sawfly that is doing serious damage to one of the most important conifers in New Zealand. In most of these problems all we can expect to do during the present season is to make a start with the preliminary investigations. In the scheme for this parasite work as originally drafted there was a serious deficiency, in that no provision was made for the prompt and reliable identification of the parasites with which we should have to deal—a matter of great practical importance. This was due merely to the fact that the men competent to do this work are extremely few in number, and that they are already overwhelmed with requests for identifications from all parts of the world. Fortunately it was ascertained a few months ago that one of them, Dr. Charles Ferriere, Entomologist to the Berne Museum, was willing to give up his post there provided that he could obtain another in which he could devote his whole time to the study of parasitic Hymenoptera. The opportunity was too good to be lost ; and after consultation with our chairman and the Colonial Office a memorandum was sent in to the Empire Marketing Board asking for financial assistance to enable us to secure the services of this specialist. It is a pleasure to be able to report that the Board received this proposal most sympathetically, and they have made

36