"Nutfall"

Victory Likely For B.S.I.

Entomologists.

ALTHOUGH the Solomon Islands Government some time ago appar ently lost all interest in the subject of “nutfall”, the investigation has been carried on by private planters—and especially by Dr. Phillips (entomolo gist for Lever’s Pacific Plantations, Ltd.) and Mr. Cotterell Dormer (entomologist for Fairymead Co.).

The Government entomologist, before he went away, was able to say positively that the mysterious pest was an insect called Ambypelta. The other entom ologists, working by themselves, sought a parasite to kill Ambypelta; and they believe they have found, in Northern Queensland, a parasite that attacks the young insects in the nymph stage. An early effort will be made to introduce it to the Solomons.

Mr. A. G. Lowe, a New Zealander, arrived in Nukualofa with his wife and two children, by the March “Matua”, to take up his appointment with the Tongan Government as Secretary to the Premier and Chief Police Magistrate, in place of Mr. Ragnar Hyne, who left with his wife on the same boat for the Solomons, where he has been appointed Judicial Commissioner. Mr. Hyne was the Chief Justice of Tonga, as well as the Judge of the Land Court.