The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-18

pical subjects, and to prepare collec-
tions OF injurious and beneficial insects
for the use OF future workers. In this
work the resident entonologists could
be assisted by the travelling members of
the Division in the intervals between
their journeys: and during such inter
walls the resident members would have
an opportunity 70 make a tour of in
spection of the various islands with a
view TO ascertaining what beneficial in
sects were chiefly needed in various
localities. 1t is quite clear that to &C
conplish this work the Division is by no
means over large; the handling and
rearing of beneficial insects alone for
purposes of distribution being almost
more than work enough for one man,
and sometimes for months together,
owing to the large amount of material
on hand. the extreme care necessary
both in the actual handling of the
creatures, and in guarding against the
escape of some species that might be
preiudicial (not only to the work in
hand. but also perhaps to work already
accomplished) will absorb most of the
time of the two resident members
Quite apart from this the ordinary work
of the office IS considerable as informa-
or injurious, submitted to the entomolo-
gist.
L may state in passing that recently
in addition to the parasites sent from
California by the Superintendent of the
Division, to be tried on cane leaf-hopper,
which require the most careful atten-
ton, we have had on hand at one time
thousands of the native parasite of the
leaf-hopper, and have in addition para
sites (from the Eastern States) for the
green leaf-hopper so injurious in many
localities to coffee, citrus, and many
forest trees. To regularly supply so
large number of living creatures with
food. to guard against the accidental in
clusion of some predaceous insect, which
in a night might destroy the labor of
weeks. TO make sure that the conditions
of moisture and temperature are suita-
bic for the species, most important
matter in this climate, all these require
much care and consideration.
1T is most necessary that good refer
ence collections should be made. of the
various insects whether beneficial or in
furious. A slight step has been already
made in this direction but it must be
years before any adequate collection can
be got together. This want of a collec-
ton is a great need, so that, when in
the case of manv important Hawaiian
insects, TO identify these the entomolo-
gist has to hunt through mass of scat
tered literature, with often very I'M
satisfactory results, while in the case
of obscure foreign species, the difficult
ties are hardly less great sometimes
even greater, the country whence they
have been imported being a matter OF
doubt Our distance from entomologists
of other countries precludes the posi-
bility of getting assistance from them,
except after much delay, and to be of
any use an entomologist here must be
self-dependent. Hardly less important
is it to form reference collections of
foreign insects injurious to important
agricultural industries of these islands,
for had we complete collections of this
kind, we should know exactly what to
guard against when 1mportatlons OF
important plants are made, and new in
sect pests could be identified as they
turn up. That new ones will turn up
no one can possibly doubt. for an IN
sect may be (and is sometimes known
to be) present for years in country
before it becomes injurious. Also with
these injurious insects should be col
1ected where possible their natural enc
mics, so that in the event of their occur
renee here we may know where to seek
the latter OF course, such collection
could only be made by the travelling
as opportunity offered
while he was engaged in the still more
important work of collecting and for
warding beneficial insects, but certain
ly no opportunity should be lost of ac-
r
From time to time as occasion de-
mands it is purposed to publish Bulle
tins on chronological subjects. For this
two series of Bulletins be issued, one
dealing with purely technical entomolo-
gy and the other with more general in
formation The Bulletin already issued
on the leaf-hopper of the cane mostly
belongs to the latter class but in the
appendix is contained matter. which
belongs to a technical bulle-
tin and the publication of such matter
in a mixed form is most inadvisab1e
and only could e excused by the ur-
gent and immediate need of that Bulle-
tin.
Owing to the great mass of entomo-
logical literature published yearly it is
necessary that all papers of importance
should be duly recorded annually and it
greatly facilitates the work of the re-
corder that descriptions of species and
similar technical matter, should be kept
apart from general chronological in
formation, and both from matters which
have nothing whatever to do with either
branch
For information of relatively small
and momentary value the Press Bulle-
tins are excellent, the daily papers being
the quickest and best means of giving
information to the general public.
while a Bulletin of the class con-
veying general information can be writ
ten so as to be easily understood by ore
of ordinary intelligence. the technical
Bulletin is written for the use of the j
themselves, whether pres
ent or future. Unless this is done it