382 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol, XV. 



In houses tar well all stone, earthen or wooden floors, both round the 

 edges and up the walls tor a few inches and in the centre before laying 

 down mats, carpets, &c. These latter should be removed for inspection 

 at intervals, depending upon the abundance of the pest in the neigh- 

 bourhood. 



In the case of nursery stock like the above alluded to young 

 rubber saplings and young roadside saplings and poles, the mixture 

 known as ' Gondal Fluid ' should be made use of. It is prepared as 

 follows : — 1 part dekamali gum (this is the resin of Gardenia gummifera) ; 

 2 parts asafcetida (hing) ; 2 parts bazar aloes (gugid) ; 2 parts castor oil 

 cake : pound these together and mix up thoroughly ; then when the 

 mixture is decomposed into a thickened compound, add wster till it is 

 of the consistency of paint. Some colouring material such as ochre 

 should be added, so that the material can be seen when put upon the 

 trees. When ready the mixture should be painted upon the trees in a 

 continuous band 2 ft. to. 3 ft. high, starting from the surface level of the 

 soil, care being taken that all iuterstices in the bark are coated with it. 

 The earthen tunnels of the termites should be first scraped off. All the 

 materials for this mixture can be procured at slight cost in the bazar. 



It has been used with great effect. 



Fam. III. Psocidae— Book-Lice, Death- Watches. 



Minute insects with slender thread-like antennae consisting of from 

 11 — 25 joints. Prothorax is very small and concealed between the 

 head and the mesothorax. Four delicate membranous wings are pre- 

 sent, the upper pair being the larger. 



The small insects found amongst dust and books in dry places belong 

 here. They somewhat resemble a miniature 

 termite and are often mistaken for true lice and 

 thus are apt to cause a scare in a house, when 

 they suddenly increase in large numbers. 

 Their food is starch or dry animal and vege- 

 table matters, and this is what leads them to 

 attack the buildings, plates and pages of books. 



Napthaline is the best prevention against 



them. Fig. '26 shows a common book-louse. 



° t Fig. 27.— A common book- 



A small psocid, Psocus sp, is extremely louse, 



plentiful on the leaves of the sal (Shorea robusta) tree in the Dun Forests 

 during the latter part of February. Small brown patches of rotten 



