A.—2.

of the amounts due to the Zoological Society, discounts to booksellers, and postages. No exact comparison with the previous year is possible owing to the fact that in December, 1925, the Bureau had only taken over the sale of the Record during the very short period of about three months, but it will be remembered from the last report that the standard figure of average sales of a given part was 67 copies. Of the volume under report, 94 were sold during the calendar year, and a further Bup to the 31st March. In addition 6 complete sets in sections of Volume 62, 37 odd sections of both 62 and 61 (1924), and 43 copies of various back volumes were sold. Sundry Publications.—A further sum of £7 2s. 3d. was received during the year from the sale of 20 copies of the book on tsetse flies by Major E. E. Austen and Mr. E. Hegh. A total number of 460 copies has now been sold, and these have brought in a net return of £223 ss. 9d., as against a total expenditure of £285. Twelve papers dealing with insects sent in to the Bureau for identification have been published during the year in the Annals and, Magazine of Natural History, under the arrangement by which we contribute to the cost of publication. These comprise : One by Mr. K. G. Blair (tenebrionid beetles), one by Mr. E. Brunetti (cyrtid flies), one by Mr. G. E. Bryant (phytophagous beetles), one by Dr. L. Chopard (crickets), one by Mr. C. H. Curran (dolichopodid flies), two by Mr. ,T. R. Malloch (muscid flies), two by Mr. F. Muir (Homoptera), and three by the Director (weevils). Our payments for these amounted to £54 16s. Library. —The pamphlet collection now numbers over 10,000, being an increase of over 1,100 for the year, and the number of bound volumes in the library is 5,246 (4,805). The latter figures represent the smallest annual increase since March, 1921, the relatively large figures during the intervening period being due to the acquisition of literature issued in ex-enemy countries during the war. The number of periodicals, however, shows an increase, over 950 (920) serial publications (including annual reports) being now received. The card catalogue of the library, arranged under authors, now contains over 38,000 titles ; it forms a card index to the whole of the pamphlets, which is kept up to date, and to about 70 per cent, of the entomological papers in the bound volumes of serials. New editions of the typewritten catalogues of serials, and of the text-books and separate works, were prepared during the year. The number of books issued on loan in 1926 was 290, as compared with 408 in 1925. Institutions availing themselves of the library during the year included the London and Liverpool Schools of Tropical Medicine, the Bureau of Hygiene and Tropical Diseases, the Imperial Bureau of Mycology, the Wellcome Bureau of Scientific Research, and the University of Birmingham. Staff. —The changes due to the transfer of Dr. Neave and Miss Davenport to the laboratory have inevitably caused a little dislocation of the work in the Fublication Office, which was accentuated by sickness among the staff during the early part of the year ; but in addition to this there has been during recent months a noticeable increase in the influx of literature, with a result that the abstracting-work has got somewhat seriously in arrear. To remedy this it was found necessary to take on an additional lady abstractor for three months from the Ist April, and the covering approval of the committee is sought for this. But a reconsideration of the general organization of the work in the Publication Office has now made it clear that the congestion cannot be adequately met merely by a temporary appointment of this kind, and as it is of great importance that the Review should be kept right up to date, the committee is recommended to make the appointment of this abstractor, Miss Smythe, permanent. On the financial side there is no difficulty whatever, for a glance at the estimates for the current year will show that ample funds are available. Unfortunately, the new junior assistant appointed recently to take charge of the Zoological Record work did not prove satisfactory, and Mr. McCracken was taken on in his place from the Ist May. Tsetse Investigations.—The recommendation on page 10 of the first report of the Tsetse Fly SubCommittee of the Committee of Civil Research, that an organization should be set up in Tanganyika Territory for an experimental attack upon the cattle tsetse-flies on a large scale, was referred to the Government of the Tanganyika Territory for consideration. In reporting on the proposal the Governor stated that it had been found necessary to revise the estimate of the annual recurrent expenditure which the scheme would involve, and the estimated expenditure is now £12,500 per annum, as compared with the figure of £9,900 originally suggested by the sub-committee. The revised estimate is made up as follows : European and clerical staff, £6,250 ; African assistants, £1,250 ; travelling, passages, and contingencies, £3,170 ; special courses, equipment, labour, uniforms, and books, £1,410 ; railway fares and freight, £420 : total, £12,500. The Governor asked that a sum of £70,000 should be set aside from the East Africa Guaranteed Loan to cover the cost of these experiments over a period of five years, and the Treasury have now agreed that this service shall be financed from the loan, subject to reconsideration at the time when the loan is actually issued. Steps are being taken, in consultation with the Director of Game Preservation in Tanganyika Territory, to select the special staff required for this work, which will consist of three entomologists, two zoologists, one protozoologist, one botanist, one ecologist, one curator, eight reclamation officers, and two assistant reclamation officers. Very satisfactory progress has been made by the tsetse investigators in Northern Nigeria, and an interesting report by them will be published very shortly in the Bulletin of Entomological Research. They appear to be satisfied that, despite various difficulties, controlled grass-burning has a real value against Glossina morsitans in suitable localities. It has to be reported with regret that Mr. W. F. Fiske, who has worked for so many years on tsetse problems in Uganda, has recently found it necessary to resign. It is not yet known what arrangements will be made for carrying on tsetse work in that country. The news from Nyasaland is most disappointing, for a telegram has been received from there to the effect that the attempt to stop the incursion of Glossina morsitans into the Dowa district by clearing a broad belt has definitely failed, and all work on it has been suspended. No details are yet known. May, 1927.

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