MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 273 



are straight, shorter than in the preceding kind, and generally appear in 

 bundles of 4 — 9. The fruits are very numerous and closely set, irregularly egg- 

 shaped, and not half the size of the fruits of // a; their rind is smooth and 

 shining, when ripe reddish-brown, dotted, hut not waited, and encloses a thin 

 husk, in which the fibrous matter is freely mixed with • lil tie mealy substance. 

 Tins kind is said rarely to attain a greater height than 25 — 30 feet. This species 

 is undoubtedly the //. crinita, Goertn. {IL thebaica, Mart, of Egypt). 



Finally, we have before us a leaf of a Dourn-palm raised from seed from 

 n. If this belongs to the same species, it is at least of a different variety 

 from the Sewree trees. The leaves seem very different; they represent the same 

 characteristic feature of the recurved midrib, but are considerably larger, their 

 divisions thinner and more pointed, and their stalks perfectly green and desti- 

 tute of spines. As this has not as yet flowered, it is, however, impossible to 

 even approximately identify it as a third species. 



Ti\ conclusion, I will only add that any information regarding the occurrence 



of Doum-palms in India will be most welcome and may tend to solve the 



question whether the Doum-palm is really indigenous or only naturalized by 



Is having been washed ashore after having travelled across the seas from 



tropical Africa. 



G. CAESTENSEN. 



Bombay, 1st July, 1S91. 



IX.— A GALL ON TAMARIX DIOICA. 



SoyrE months ago my attention was attracted to the occurrence of a white 



substance on the branches of Tamarix dioica. They at first appeared as small 



white spots of a sticky substance, and I thought them to be a kind of fungus. 



They, however, very soon increased in size and assumed a regular shape, and by 



examining them I found the sticky matter to contain a larva. They must, 



therefore, be considered to be a kind of gall. Now it is a well-known fact 



that several kinds of Tamarix in Sind, Afghanistan and Persia produce galls 



which furnish a kind of manna. The creamy nature of the galls in question 



seem to be very probable that they might furnish an edible substance. I should 



be glad if any of the entomologists of our Society could throw a little more 



light on this question. 

 e d G. CAESTENSEN. 



Bombay, 1st July, 1891. 



X.— A VAEIETY OF BUTEA FRONDOSA. 

 Ix addition to the information contributed by Mr. H. T. Ommanney* regard- 

 ing his interesting sport, I may state that I noticed a single tree of this 

 variety in the jungle behind " the Duke's Nose" at Khandalla in 1889, and was 

 very much struck by its great beauty. Mr. Ommanney has kindly sent me 



* See page 107 of this Vol. 

 35 



