fi - w AG R I C U LT U RAL PES T S OF I N DI A , ‘ AN D OF E I AS T ER N AN D S OU T HER N AS A. O O AN D G I BB M RRIS N , ' P E r' o H ER J Y S T AT I ON ER Y OF F C E RINT RS MA EST S I . AGRICULTURAL PESTS OF A INDI , AN D OF EAS T ER N AN D S OU T HER N A IA S , VEG ET ABLE AN D AN I MAL , I N JUR I OUS T O MAN AN D HI S PR OD U C T S . R EON EN ER AL ED WAR D BALF OU R S U G G , C O E PO D G B OF T H E I MPER I AL -R OY AL G OL OG C L I N S T I T U T E V E RR S N IN MEM ER E I A , I NNA ; FELLOW OF T H E M AD R AS U NIVERSIT Y ; AU T H OR OF “ ’ m mC YC L OPE D OF I N D I A AN D O F EAS T ER N AN D OU HE A S I A IA S T RN , “ ’ rm: B T EES OF I N D I A AN D OF AN D OU H S ma TIM ER ! EASTERN S T ERN A IA , ; F OU N D ER OF T H E G OVER N MEN T C EN T R AL U U MAD R A S M SE M, ; OF T H E MYS OR E U U B G LO ET C . M SE M, AN A RE ; L O N D O N H A U AR I T C 1 5 PI AD I LLY . BER N R D Q , C C l 8 8 7 . ! C op yrigh t a ll righ ts reserved ] PR EFAT R Y R EMAR K O S . T HE blights and murrains of India have hitherto had nl of hew s a ers their o y record in the pages journals and p p , official or occasionally in reports ; but, as the correspond f n ow een ence below Will show, ef ect has b given to my recommendation to have periodical reports on occurring h pests, reports are coming to and , and the need for a aceessible k more registry has suggested this boo . The expediency of havin g the text illustrated by plates w d n and oo engravings is under consideratio . EDW D BALF OU R AR . 31 3 t M arch 1 887 . F rom S urgeon G en eml Edw ard Ba lfow to th e U n der ec e a r o a te or I n di a S r t y f S t f . 2 OXF OR D S QU AR E, HYDE PAR K, LON D ON , th A us t 8 ug 1 885 . I R — 3 rd S , The article Insects ? in the edition of the c media o I ndia a n d o Eastern a n d S ou th ern Asi a C y log f f , I first m t o is, think, the atte pt give a general view of the entomology of that Wide region . This is, in many ways , a very difficult branch of natural history ; but this article w as prepared and printed by me under the care of two Y EM KS 6 PREFATOR R AR . scientific n men, one of them ranking amo g the most learned of living entomologists, and I was favoured also w O w h o ith counsel from Miss rmerod , , in this country on to annually reports the insects injurious food crops , forest trees, and fruits , and the prevention of insect ravages . ’ The like of Miss Ormerod s form of reporting has n n to ever been done for I dia , although every year some extent, and from time to time largely, losses occur there from the pests which attack agricultural produce . di In a has hitherto been remiss in this matter, contenting itself With references as to individual insects or blights ' to such person s as were thought likely to be able to giv e of information . But the subject is far too great import ance to agricultural India to be left to be treated in so casual a manner, and the special knowledge now avail able might be utilized to describe the insects which inj ure the agricultural, horticultural, and forest produce of India , suggesting means of preventing, and remedies for same . The reports should be restricted rigidly to the 1 nj urious - fit tw o insects , and should be half yearly, to in with the —I great agricultural seasons . have , etc . , a l E W B FO S ur eon G ener . D ARD AL UR, g T o S ur eon G enera l Edw ard Ba our 2 Ox ord S ua re g lf , f q , H de Pa rk W y , I N D I A OF F I C E , 24th S ep tember 1 885 . S I R —I am S , directed by the ecretary of State for India 1 n C ouncil to acknowledge with thanks your letter 8 re aratmn o f of the th ultimo, with reference to the p p HA F -YEAR Y E T R C O N E L L R POR S E MME D D. 7 o fficial annual reports on the insects destructive to crops and forests in India and to inform you in reply that a copy of it has been forwarded to the G overnment of — a I am . HO C E W LPOL Indi , etc , RA A E. T o H ora ce Wa l ole Es p , q ; 2 OXF R D S U AR E HY DE PAR K W O Q , , . , 28th S e t mb r p e e 1 885 . D E S I R — I M O t AR , sent to iss rmerod copy of my let er ’ o f 8 S the th August, and copy of the ecretary of State s letter of 24 th instant in reply . I enclose now copy of the acknowledgment of these w M hich iss Ormerod has written to me . I beg the favour of your submitting to Her Majesty ’ s S ecretary of State that if this correspondence could be printed and circulated from here , all the entomologists and their entomological societies in all Europe could aid n in this very important investigation . There are o ly a few I o very in India. have no doubt but that I c uld d u l 2 0 0 — I am istribute sefu ly copies . , etc EDW D B F U AR AL O R . ' E rd Ba l u 2 rd u a re T o S u r eon G en era l dw a o r Ox o S W. g f , f q , D U N R OD G E PR G G R OVE L WOR H STE L , S IN , IS E T , 2 th e te r 1 5 S p mbe 885 . D E ME O — I am AR . BALF UR , very much obliged to you for favouring me with a copy of your letter to the Under S ecretary of State for India relative to the importan ce of AT O Y R KS 8 PREF R REMA . acquiring serviceable information regarding the injurious 0 cr p insects of India, and also kindly giving me a copy official of the reply . m e I do not see that you could do better, as a co menc ment, than thus bring the subject shortly and clearly for m ward and, as far as I can for an opinion, I think that the course you suggest would be the constant means of saving thousands of pounds yearly— occasionally (perhaps ill more than occasionally) of saving m ions . I found this opinion , of course, on consideration of the unremunerative 0 outlay so often occurring on some of the great cr ps, notably (as coming specially under my notice) the loss f - by ravage of cof ee plant grubs . The information that is needed could be given by plain and simple jotting down by various persons of what they themselves have observed . On e man n h ow o otices, perhaps, deep the grubs g h ow so another, long they live ; and , by collating the w points, we get to know the hole history of habits, on which is what is needed to work . It may take a few years to get the whole life history of the insects, but we soon get in the way mentioned above (on which plan my own reports are formed) to learn the main find points, and then all observers are requested to the missing part of the history . hi w a If reports were formed in t s y, there would very shortly be a great increase of useful knowledge through out the Indian empire . I present my reports yearly to the contributors, thus a nd w they take a personal interest in the work, , hat is immensely important in things of this kind, the book comes to them on publication ; they have not the i T trouble of ordering t .