264 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1891. 



outer edge to push in with her mouth any refractory projection that would not 

 roll smoothly. 



Having rolled up the leaf three or four turns, she then bit a hole in it as deep 

 as her head and neck would allow, and then in this hole she deposited an egg. 



She then recommenced the folding of the leaf and rolled it up till she reached 

 the cut. 



The insect I watched only laid one egg, but I have found some leaves with 

 two eggs in them. The eggs appear to take ten days to a fortnight to hatch 

 into the grub which feeds on the leaf inside the roll. 



C. A. R. SAGE, Major, 

 Dharsala, May, 1891. 2nd Goorkhas. 



III.— THE TEMERITY OF RATS. 



Numerous stories have been told of the temerity and impudence of rats when 

 in search of food, but I have not heard of any similar to my late expeiience. 



My house is overrun with rats, and I find that traps and " Rough on Rats" 



do not seem to have any effect. The rats demolish skins, braces, whips, &c, 



and one night I awoke, feeling a rat gnawing at my toes: of course I kicked him 



off on to the floor. I may mention that this happened in spite of a dog (a good 



ratter) being in the room. A few days ago I was watching my pony being shod, 



and noticed the hoof apparently cut away all round the coronet, wherever it 



was soft. I accused the nalband of doing this in addition to the usual rasping 



of the hoof to suit the shoe. The syce then told me that the rats had done it, 



and that they came at night and ate away not only the pony's hoofs but those of 



the goat and kid, and that these animals were greatly tormented by the rats. 



I examined the hoofs and found beyond doubt that such was the case, the 



marks of the teeth being plain ; and, moreover, I found that the horns of the kid, 



which had been about J an inch high, were eaten flush with the head. Next 



morning too we found a large rat in the bedding under the horse, evidently 



killed by a kick from him. 



R. LIGHT, Captain. 



Aden, May, 1891. 



YV.—DALBERGIA SPINOSA. 



(Read at the meeting on 1st July, 1891. ^ 



As far as I am aware, Dalbergia spinosa, a plant belonging to the N. O. Legu- 



ninosce, has not yet been included in the catalogue of plants indigenous to 



thv Bombay Presidency. It is said to grow on the shorts of the Eastern and 



