FAMILY HOSTRYCHIDAE 151 



and pointed ; the suture gaping on declivity, the apical margin elevate. Abdomen densely 

 and finely punctate and pubescent. Last joint of anterior tarsus longer than any of the others. 

 Length, 3.5 mm. to 6 mm. 



In the cJ the lateral marginal tooth of the apical declivity is inserted about the middle of 

 the latter. In the $ this tooth takes off above the middle of the lateral margin of the apical 

 declivity. 



Whilst engaged, in the middle of April, in examining some khair-trees 

 felled during the preceding cold-weather months in the 



Life History. submontane sal forests near J aula Sal, I discovered that 



a number of them were being tunnelled into by bostry- 

 chid beetles for ovipositing purposes. The trees had been felled for the 

 preparation of cutch from the timber, and this latter was still green and 

 sappy. The most abundant beetle present was the Hctcrobostrychits hamaii- 

 pennis already dealt with. From short burrows in the wood, however, I 

 cut two individuals of this Xylodectcs. One of these insects was found dead 

 at the end of its burrow, and it appeared to have been drowned there owing 

 to the outflow of sap of the still green bast and wood into its burrow. The 

 other was engaged in tunnelling down into the sapwood to oviposit. The 

 tunnel, so far as it had been taken, went down for half an inch into the sap- 

 wood and then curved at an angle. It was unfinished. 



The eggs of the first generation of the year are, then, laid in the early 

 part of April in Kumaun. The number of life-cycles passed through in the 

 year, if more than one, has yet to be ascertained. 



Xylothrips. 

 Xylothrips flavipes, Illiger. 



References.— lUiger, Mag. fur Insekt. Heit 1-2, p. 171 {(5){i8oi); dominicanus, Fabr. Syst. Eleuth. ii, 

 P- 380 (9) (iSoi) ; Lesne, Bull. Soc. Ent. Fr. p. clxxviii (1895); simiatus, Stephens {non Fabricius), 

 Illustr. of Brit. Ent. iii, p. 351, pi. xix, f. 6 (1830) ; Spry et Shuckard, Brit. Col. del. p. 44, pi. 53, f. 4 

 (1840) ; religiosus, Fairmaire, Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 2nd ser.ii, p. 50 (in part) (1850) ; mutilatus. Walker, 

 Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 3rd ser. ii, p. 286 (1858) ; Waterhouse, ibid. 6th ser. i, p. 349 (1888) ; iracundus, 

 Snell van Vollenhoven, Rech. Faun. Madagas. part 5, p. 10, pi. i, f. 7 (1869). 



Habitat.— Peradiniya, Ceylon; Indo-Malayan, Madagascar, and neigh- 

 bouring islands. In India it has been reported from Sylhet, Khasia Hills, 

 Bhutan, Tetara (Bengal), and Travancore. 



Tree Attacked. --Cocoa {Thcobroma cacao). E. E. Green, 

 from Peradiniya. 



T 



Beetle.— Chocolate-brown, posterior parts of elytra darker-coloured ; 1 

 often entirely reddish ; under-surface lighter-coloured, especially the abdo- 1 



men ; antennae reddish, club brown. The rasp- 

 Description, like elevations on prothorax interrupted by small 



teeth ; posterior surface shining or very finely 

 punctured. Elytra finely punctate, stronger behind, especially near de- 

 clivity ; latter furnished with three marginal tubercles, the median one 

 longest and most prominent; suture elevate on declivity, the sutural _ 



margin with one or several tubercles ; suture slightly gaping. Breast and a'J'-f^. IlUaer 

 abdomen covered with a very fine and dense reddish-gold pubescence. -^ Cevlon. '^ 

 Length, 6 mm. to 8.5 mm. 



