Reports to various Correspondents. 1 1 5 



" Several topics are presented on the enclosed sheet about which 

 information is especially desired, and I shall be very <^rateful if you 

 will have the kindness to give them your consideration and answer 

 as fully as possible, etc." 



The following records were forwarded to Professor Howard : — 



In India. 



Occurrence recorded from Chingleput district, Janjore district, 

 Azamgarh, N.W.P., Cavvnpore, Bengal, Kersari in Patna, Ceylon. 



Food plants : Ilice, poppy, paddy, ganja, in safliower, cotton, Cape 

 gooseberry, hemp, grain and rabi. 



Seedling paddy plants, stems of rice ; cotton is attacked at 

 Cawnpore, hemp in Ceylon. 



I'he damage in India seems to be done to immature cotton plants. 



In Austealia. 



OccuiTence : Western Australia and Victoria. 



Food plants: Cereals, tomatoes, peas and AcroelithHin, roscnm. 



Mviliodx tisi'd to jircvenl liijarji. 



Trenches dug round wheat and uat fields. Poisonous compouutls 

 are placed in these trenches in Western Australia. Poison baits are 

 used as for " Cut- worms " and Paris green wash. 



The Mexican Cotton Boll Weevil. 



{Antlioiwiit us (/rand is.) 



This Weevil was forwarded by C(j1. Sanderson, to whom speci- 

 mens had been sent asking for information, owing to the great damage 

 it has been doing in South-west Mexico. Col. Sanderson says in his 

 letter that it gets into the " boll " of the cotton, and is destroying 

 hundreds of thousands of acres. 



This Weevil is one of the worst cotton pests. It is found in 

 cotton fields throughout the season, and punctures and lays its eggs in 

 both the " squares " and " bolls." Tiie eggs hatch into larvje, which 

 are creamy-white and footless, and which reach when mature three- 

 eighths of an inch in lengLli. The maggots feed inside the buds and 

 bolls. The squares attacked usually drop, but most of the damaged 

 bolls remain upon the plant and are always stunted, exce])t late in 

 the season, when they either dry or rot. 



The insect passes the winter in the Weevil stage. It can be 



I 2 



