From conversations that the writer has had, it would appear that this thrips (identified by Mr. R. S. Bagnall as Heliothrips indicus, Bagn.) has been known on the Gezira cotton for about three years, and is popularly called “dry asal” in contradistinction to the work of the “asal fly” (Aphis sorghi, Theo.) The natives have been acquainted with this insect for some time. The reason suggested for the enormous damage done by itis that the cotton is too scattered, and it is stated that if cotton were cultivated in larger blocks, the thrips might be viewed with equanimity.

A fortunate stay of a few days in July 1919 at Fort Johnston, Lake Nyasa, while waiting instructions, enabled the writer to proceed to the village of Mzeze near the Livingstonia Peninsula, where in 1914–15 some work was carried out on the various insects parasitic on the puparia of this fly.

Both Culex decens and Culex invidiosus are widely distributed in British West Africa. In the Gold Coast both have been taken in all the three divisions into which the country is divided, namely, the Colony proper, Ashanti and the Northern Territories; the records at Accra showing the following distribution: —

In the foregoing pages the following tentative views have been put forward in the hope that they may receive either confirmation or criticism from other investigators : (1). The latter part of the dry season is probably, in general, the most favourable portion of the year to the fly. (2). The later the onset of the rains the greater the capacity for increase. (3). Seasons of unusually heavy rainfall are inimical, at least in certain areas. (4).A series of years of lew rainfall is favourable. (5).Regions where the fly commonly attains the greatest concentration of numbers are the regions where it is most liable to be reduced or to die out,namely, parts of the infested areas where first-grade foci predominate. (6).In Southern Khodesia the passage of grass fires has, as a rule, no appreciable effect on the numbers of the fly. (7).Mopani belts are probably of considerable value to the fly in providing limited areas attractive to game in the wet season, where the grass remains short; they possibly also afford a convenient refuge from grass fires in the dry season. (8).The fly does not migrate under the stimulus of hunger or in company with game. (9).The fly as a whole does not follow game about infested areas. (10).The maximum distance at which a hungry fly readily detects its hosts is a short one, possibly less than 100 yards. (11).The maximum following distance of the females remains to be determined ; the writer is not yet convinced that the females seek animals and humanbeings only for the purpose of feeding, though this appears probable.

Through the kindness of Mons. E. Séguy, of the Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, I have recently been enabled to examine a considerable number of mosquitos from Madagascar and the neighbouring French islands, including the types or co-types of all the species described from Madagascar by Ventrillon. As the examination of this material has disclosedthe existence of several species hitherto unrecorded from these islands, aswell as some new synonymy, it has been thought desirable to record the results at once. In the following pages all the species of mosquitos hitherto known from this region are dealt with. The total number is only 28, as compared with about 180 in the African fauna, so that it is highly probable that further collecting would produce many others.

Some six years ago, it was correctly pointed out by Brèthes (Bull. Soc. Ent. de France, 1914, p. 59) that the generic designation Diatomineura, Round. (Archiv. Zool. Anat. Fisiol. iii, p. 84, 1864), is a synonym of Osca, Walk., (Ins. Saund., Diptera, Part i, p. 10, 1850—nec Walk., 1864, nec Sta;l, 1871). The first species mentioned by both Walker and Rondani is Pangonia depressa, Macq. (=Erephopsis lata (Tabanus latus), Guér.), and this species is designated by Brè as the genotype. Erephopsis lata, Guér., of Kertész’s Catalogus Dipterorum (iii, p. 165, 1908), must therefore be known henceforth as Osca lata, Guér., and the South African Tabanus barbatus, L. (Pangonia barbata, Auct.), and Pangonia fulvifascia, Walk., must be transferred to the genus Osca.

Head and thorax dark; abdomen pale, apparently pale green, with dark lateral spots. Antennae, cauda and cornicles dark. Legs with mid and hind femora dark, front pair paler; apices of tibiae and the tarsi dark. Antennae shorter than body, rather thick; basal segment larger and paler than second; third much longer than fourth and about as long as the sixth, with 18–20 small round pale sensoria over its whole length; fourth segment very slightly longer than fifth, with 5–8 sensoria; fifth with 4–7 sensoria of unequal size, exclusive of the usual subapical one; sixth with the rather thick basal area less than one-third the length of flagellum, in some however almost half its length; all the segments from the third imbricated. Eyes large. Proboscis reaching to the third coxae. A large palebladder-like papilla on each side of pronotum and five pairs of pale rounded papillae on sides of abdomen. Cornicles about as long and as thick as third antennal segment, cylindrical, markedly imbricated, not reaching to the level of the cauda. Cauda bluntly pointed, about half the length of the cornicles, spinose; with numerous fine hairs, curved apically. Anal plate spinose, with fine pale hairs. Tibiae with numerous fine, pale, short hairs. Wings with normal venation; veins and stigma brown, the veins very faintly and narrowly clouded on each side. Length, 2–2.2 mm.

The following paper contains an account of the campaign which has been in progress against Phytalus smithi during the past 8 1½2 years. The history of the pest in Mauritius and the measures which have been adopted for its control are of interest both from an entomological and from an administrative point of view.

In respect of insect and, incidentally, fungous diseases of plants, Mauritius is remarkable in two respects; the first being the very small numberthat are indigenous to the island, and the second the very large numbers that have been introduced. The desire to introduce exotic plants of a useful or ornamental nature is very widely spread in this Colony, and very extended plant introductions have taken place. Until comparatively recently no restrictions existed on such importations, and as a result insect and fungous pests in large numbers have become established to the great and permanent detriment of the major and minor agricultural industries of the Colony. For example, the cane-sugar industry was threatened with ruin in 1842 as the result of the introduction of the borer, Proceras saccchariphaga, Bojer, from Ceylon; at a somewhat later date greatdamage was done by the insect known locally as the “Pou a Roche Blanche” (Pulvinaria gasteralpha, Icery); and again quite recently the introduction of Phytalus smithi has proved a serious menace to the industry and has resulted in the loss of large sums of money.

In the course of my work on the froghopper (Tomaspis saccharina, Dist.) damaging sugar-cane in Trinidad, it was found that the adult insects could be caught in very large numbers at the time of their broods by drawing large nets over the cane plants in the late evening and early morning. A number of different types of net were designedand experimented with, and the one described below has proved the most satisfactory up to the present.

There are few countries in which agriculture is more important and the enemies of the crops less known than Mesopotamia. The following notes on a serious pest of the fig-tree in various parts of the Baghdad vilayet were put together on the River Diyala, north-east of Baghdad, at the end of July 1918. The Liparid moth which is so injurious has been determined by Sir G. F. Hampson as Ocnerogyia amanda, Staud. The larve devoured all the fig leaves completely. with the exception of one or two of the large vascular bundles. The fruit shrivelled and dropped before it was ripe.