2 RICE-PEST OF BRITISH BURMA. 



of a small animal belonging to the Heterocerous divi- 

 sion of the insectean order Lepidoptera. 



They differ, as will be seen, so little from the corre- 

 sponding stages of an animal whose metamorphoses are 

 completely known even to the minutest detail, that they 

 may, even in the absence of the perfect insect, be 

 accepted with entire confidence as stages of a closely- 

 allied species of moth. 



The ' Palan Byoo ' is an animal of considerable zoo- 

 logical interest, inasmuch as in its larval stages it is 

 specially modified for a purely aquatic life ; having the 



water is therefore drawn off, for, should the leaves of the paddy be parti- 

 cularly green and tender, the destruction of the leaves would be excessive. 

 This description of blight is liable to occur from Wagoung (July) till 

 Tawthalinlabyee (September). 



Pinbo. — Pinbo, otherwise called Ooshoukpo. This is probably only the 

 above-described insect under a different name; also called Teingdoungbo. 



For of the insects who nipped the leaves some remain, some are carried off 

 with the leaves, and eventually, wafted by the wind, attach themselves to 

 plants, and crawl up the hollow of the stalk. This blight is liable to occur 

 from Tawthalin (September) to Thadingyoot (October). Should it then 

 appear, the leaves turn white and shortly afterwards some plants die off; 

 the remainder are weakly and do not fruit well. 



Satmee. — The above description of blight is frequently also described as 

 ' Satmeelikethee.' 



This blight is called after a "sambur's tail." The root of the plant 

 bushes out, and the extremity, instead of sending out fruiting shoots, remains 

 as it is. When this occurs some plants die off outright ; some that remain 

 do not increase from the main stem, but branch off the top, and when the 

 time for fruiting comes do not fruit well. This description of blight 

 generally occurs in very good (rich) soil. Should it appear, water should 

 be let "into the field, for, should there be a deficiency of water, the paddy is 

 sure to die off. This is also called ' Bouktheik,' and occurs in land flooded 

 by salt-water. 



Palanbyoo. — Palanbyoo is another' description of blight. It is a flying 

 insect which settles on the paddy. Paddy so attacked discolours. The 

 insect itself is something like the rice-insect. Because paddy so attacked 

 gets white (discolours), this insect is called Palanbyoo. It is not a very 

 destructive kind of blight, and generally occurs from Tawthalin (Septem- 

 ber) to Thadingyoot (October). When it appears, the water is let out of the 

 fields and consequently the plants dry up, and, when fruiting, do not fruit 

 well. After 10 or 15 days the insect leaves the plants and flies away. By 

 some cultivators said to be the worst kind. 



