20 JOURNAL, BOMB A Y NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVIII. 



from egg to beetle, in the ease of the autumn generation. Eggs laid 

 about the 1st to 2nd week of October hatch out within a couple of days 

 or so, and the larvae are full grown by the end of the month or 1st 

 week in November. The pupal stage is about two weeks and the 

 mature beetles issue about the 3rd week of the month should the 

 weather prove favourable. I have not been able to work out the com- 

 plete number of life cycles passed through in the year, but I am of 

 opinion it will be found to be four or five. The first eggs of the year 

 are laid about the middle of April, mature beetles from these issuing at 

 the beginning of June ; this is the first generation of the year. The 

 beetles of the second generation appear somewhere about the middle 

 of July, those of the third at the end of August, whilst a fourth lot 

 appear to oviposit in the second week of October. Should the year be 

 a favourable one — I mean by this should the autumn be a dry and 

 warm one and the winter set in late — a fifth lot of beetles may develop 

 towards the end of November and hibernate as such through the winter. 

 Should the year be unfavourable, the insect probably hibernates for the 

 winter in the larval stage at the bottom of the tunnels in the wood. 



Such is the life history of this pest as far as it has at present been 

 worked out. As I have said, it only attacks the wood when fresh. In 

 no instance have I found the insect alive in dry timber. I gather from 

 Mr. Troup's note that he is alluding to green as opposed to dry wood. 



As to Mr. Troup's query as to why the insects only attack trees 

 or timber which have been felled during the period of moonlight, I will 

 reply with the question, is this true in the case of P. longifolia ? The 

 mere fact of my not having heard of this opinion in connexion with the 

 long-leaved pine is not. meant to throw a doubt on any statement of 

 Mr. Troup's or any observations he mav have made. In dealing with 

 scientific questions one may be pardoned, I trust, for asking for the 

 proofs. Mr. Troup will see in my paper on the subject in connexion 

 with bamboos that I have suggested a series of experiments being made 

 with the idea of settling once and for all the truth or otherwise of the 

 native idea about this period of felling. If Mr. Troup would — should 

 he be in a position to do so — commence a series of experiments with 

 bamboos, ringals and Pinus longifolia and would let me have the results 

 of his observ.tions I should be under a deep obligation to him. 



Now that the matter has been opened in the Bombay Natural History 

 Society's Journal and in the Indian Forester, I trust it will not be 



