PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 107 
of the material available shows that we have apparently at least five 
distinct species of Rhogas parasitic on Harias fabia and E. insulana. 
Of these, one is probably Rhogas lefroyi, another is apparently identical 
with R. kitchenert, described by Dudgeon and Gough [Agqric. Journ. 
Egypt, IIL, p. 108] from Harias insulana in Kgypt, a the other three 
are probably undescribed species. We have sent specimens to Washing- 
ton to Mr. Brues for exact identification, but this has not been received 
yet. Of course, the fact that more than one species of Rhogas is con- 
cerned is not a matter of interest merely from the systematic point of 
view ; it is a matter of some moment in considering this question of 
parasitization of Harias by Rhogas and it complicates the question immen- 
sely. Here again our present knowledge is very defective. We want to 
know which of these species are concerned as effective checks on Harias 
(if any of them are). It may turn out that only one is really important 
and, if so, we want to know which one. Then there are other points. 
For example, in the very same number of the Agricultural Journal of 
Egypt in which Dudgeon and Gough described Rhogas kitcheneri they 
note that it was also bred in Egypt as a parasite of Ephestia cautella. 
Does any Rhogas, effective in India as a check on Harias, parasitize any 
other common insect on which we can breed it more readily than on 
Earias ? At present we donot know, but a more thorough investigation 
of the subject might well bring to hght many facts of this sort which 
could be utilized. I may add that the coloured plate, issued under the 
name Rhogas lefroyi, shows a Rhogas which does not agree with the 
description of lefroyi as given by Dudgeon and Gough and it is probably 
a distinct and undescribed species, although we have specimens from 
Lyallpur which agree fairly well with the description of lefroyz. I may 
also call your attention to the fact that this is one of the numerous cases 
in which systematic work must form the very foundation of any applied 
work in economic entomology. 
Besides the use of parasites, have you tried any other methods of 
control of cotton bollworm in the Punjab ? 
Handpicking of the aflected buds, flowers and bolls used to give the Mr. M. M. Lal. 
best results but experience has shown us that it is a very tedious measure 
to adopt on any large scale, and it is very difficult to induce people 
privately to handpick their affected plots. They prefer to have bad 
cotton rather than none at all. For the last two years we have been 
making some experiments by mechanical aid, shaking the plants by 
dragging a rope over them and irrigating the field afterwards. Cotton 
is mostly grown in irrigated areas. Dragging a rope over the top portions 
of the plants gives very much the same eee as a strong gust of wind 
will give. The idea is that all the affected buds and flowers will drop 
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