928 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



tlie insect a?stivates in the adult ccindition througli the summer ruontlis. 

 March to June. But whether this is so or whether there is another breed 

 during this period of the year will be definitely known next season. 



Nalyral enemies. So far no natural enemies of any kind either 

 predatory or parasitic have been noted. 



0/Jier host flants. Besides jjepper no other plant has been found till 

 now wherein the pest breeds. This point can be verified during the off- 

 season, when the pepper-vines are dormant. 



Extent and distribution of tJie ' Polhi ' caused by the insect. The pest 

 is not noted in two of the three pepjjer tracts, viz., the coastal region and 

 the Ghat region, but is prevalent only in the sub-montane jungly tracts 

 below the Ghats. The insect is more commonly found in shady, damp 

 and very cool plots. Even in the same place those plots, which are 

 somewhat open and not full of shade-trees, are less infested with the beetle 

 pest. With regard to the extent of damage the actual injury done bj' 

 the insect in causing ' PoUu ' is very little compared to the extent of 

 actual ' Polhi ' caused by all causes combined. We have reckoned it 

 ruughly as between 5 and 8 per cent, of the total damage. 



Control-methods. Looking at the life habits of the insect it appears 

 to me that the most vulnerable stage in the life of the insect is the pupa, 

 and I think measures to destroy these in the soil at the proper season 

 will go a great way in checking the multiplication of the pest. Hoeing 

 the soil under the vines in Sej^t ember- October and December-January, 

 the seasons when the pupae are found under the soil, might do good. 

 Nothing coidd be done to tackle the borer which is an internal feeder. 

 Then, coming to the methods whereby the adult could be checked and 

 prevented from laying eggs, one method is spraying ; our attempts. in 

 this direction have shown that it is rather difficult to get the jjepjier 

 vines satisfactorily spra3'ed, although in some plots where we tried some 

 deterrents like lead arsenate and Bordeaux mixture the pest did not 

 appear. Investigations are still continued in this direction. 



68.— ON BOME OF THE BIONOMICS OF BRUCHIDiE (LARIADiE). 

 £ij Ramrao S. Kasergode, Assi.staHt Professor of Entomology, Poona. 

 The seed-testing Department of Bombay has for some years past 

 been engaged in trying to find out the germinating capacity of most 

 seeds used by the cultivator dirring the sowing season. The results show 

 that most of the seed, besides being mouldy, is destroyed by insects 

 and does not germinate satisfactorily. Mouldiness is preventible by 

 preserving the seed in dry conditions, and admixture of weed-seeds can 



