10 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Feb. 



Punjab, and to the great advisability of obtaining Fatisfactory 

 information as to the second species of Rliamnus^ necessary 

 to the complete adaptation of the former plant to the purposes of 

 dyeing as practised in China, that an application be made 

 through the Punjab government, to obtain from the British Con- 

 sular authorities in China, further and authentic particulars (also 

 seeds) of the several species o^ Wiammis, without which the dye 

 cannot be prepared, as shown in the papers translated for the 

 Agri-Horticultural Society of India, by Mr. Cope, and published 

 in their journal. It is remarked with satisfaction that the seed- 

 lings before the meeting are the produce of seeds from plants 

 grown in the Society's Badamee Garden. 



21. Lakh Dye. — In the same report, D. F. McLecd, Esq., 

 calls attention to the valuable insect producing tho lakh and lakh 

 dye of commerce. He states that it is indigenous to various 

 parts of the Punjab, especially to the N. W. extremity of theBaree 

 Doab, zillah Goordaspoor, and the S. W. parts of the Kangra 

 zillah. There is some reason to believe that, at one time, the insect 

 covered a larger space than it now occupies. There is a popular 

 rumor that the Sikh frovernment derived a revenue of one lakh 

 of rupees from the farm of the exclusive privilege to gather the lakh ; 

 but this is probably an exaggeration. The subject is however one 

 full of interest, and should draw the special attention of the Society. 

 In the central provinces, where the insect exists in great abundance, 

 it is propagated b}^ artificial means, and grafted as it were on the 

 tre?. It feeds chiefly, down there, on theDhak (^Butea f rondo so) ; 

 but in the Punjab it is exclusively found on the Ber [Rhamnus 

 jujuha). Two years ago Mr. McLeod had observed the insect to 

 be spreading on Ber trees and bushes in his neighborhood. This 

 year (1863) the insect has shown itself in large quantities, con- 

 siderable enough to make it worth the notice of parties to pur- 

 chase the rifjht to cut the branches on which the insects are found. 

 Reference to the exports of Bengal show that thousands of maunds 

 are sent to Europe, either as lakh or dye, and its preparation is car- 

 ried on in large establishments. The lower province insect feeds 

 chiefly on the Dhak. Why should experiments not be made for 

 grafting it on this tree, of which whole forests exist ? His High- 

 ness the Rajah of Kupoorthulla has devoted some attention to the 

 subject, and introduced the insect from Oiidh into his Dhak for- 

 est lands near Phugwara. Experiments are likewise in progres?. 



