420 FAMILY CUKCULIONIDAE 



midrib near the apex of the leaf. The leaf is then folded along the 

 midrib, the surfaces on each side being turned inwards. The beetle then 

 rolls the leaf tightl}' up from the apex downwards, tucking in the outer 

 edges, so that the ends on each side are symmetrical and the whole forms 

 a tight little roll (fig. d). The end of the stalk where it expands into 

 the blade of the leaf is then partially cut through, so that the little 

 rolled-up mass hangs downwards. In other cases the beetle cuts the 

 leaf at a point about one-eighth or at most one-sixth of the length of 

 the leaf above its juncture with the leaf stalk This is done in two 

 ways: either the leaf is cut through right across by a horizontal inci- 

 sion, only a small portion of the outer edge being left to support the cut 

 part : or the beetle cuts through the leaf horizontally on either side of the 

 midrib, starting on each side from the outer edge of the leaf and cuttmg 

 inwards to the midrib, which is only slightly notched. In each case the eg<f!, 

 is laid in the same place and the leaf rolled up as above described. These 

 little bundles containing each an egg hang down (see fig. c), suspended 

 bv the portion of midrib still uncut, or by the small portion of the outer edge 

 of the leaf still intact, as the case maybe; this small uncut portion soon 

 dries up, and the little rolls then fall or get knocked off and drop to the 

 ground (fig. J). I ha\e not }et been able to ascertain how many eggs are 

 laid by each beetle, but it is almost certain that more than one is laid, i.e. 

 that several leaves are so treated b}- each beetle. From the eggs a small 

 grub emerges which feeds upon the store of food thus provided by the 

 mother beetle, subsequentl}' penetrating into the soil and changing into 

 the pupal state. In its method of procedure this beetle resembles Apodcnis 

 iiicana. 



Whilst marching up the Sutlej \'alley between Nirth and Rampur in 

 June 1901 I noticed that the sissu-trees on either bank 



^^'^Foresf '^^ °^ ^^^^ ^^^'^^ ^^'^^^ ^^^"^ heavily defoliated. The tree^ 

 were growing either in clumps or scattered here and there 

 in the river-bed and on the terraces existing on either side of the stream, 

 An examination showed that the defoliation was not due to any ordinary 

 leaf-feeding insect. A certain amount attributable to the latter cause was 

 taking place, due to the Mylloccnts weevils already alluded to on pp. 401, 

 402, but the serious part of the work was due to quite a different form 

 of attack. The first thing that attracted notice was the fact that the 

 crowns and ends of all the branches of the trees, consisting of long 

 vellowish-grcen shoots just developed or in the course of development, 

 were either totalh' leafless or rapidly becoming so. A closer inspection 

 showed that these shoots were not entirel)- bare. In man}- cases small 

 portions of leaves, looking as if they had been snipped off either just above 

 the juncture of the stalk with the leaf or at the stalk itself, were visible, and 

 often, hanging down from these, small bundles of rolled-up leaf. These latter 

 enabled me to perceive what was taking place. A leaf-rolling insect was at 

 work, and in each of these bundles, as already described, an egg had been 



