262 



indica) over a period of six years. Though the amount of honey ex- 

 tracted from the combs may not compare favourably with the results 

 obtained from a similar number of hives of A. ynellifica in other parts 

 of the world, he attributes this to the fact that he was unable to give 

 the bees sufificient attention rather than to inabihty on the part of 

 the bees to be more productive. The view that these bees are of a 

 vagrant disposition does not appear to be confirmed, as they desert 

 the hives to form colonies elsewhere only when their wants are not 

 attended to at the right time. Hives of these bees appear to be less 

 prone to attacks of the wax-moth {Galleria melloneUa), which mainly 

 endeavours to established itself in those hives in which the bees are 

 not numerous enough to cover the cells. By regulating the size of the 

 hive to the number of the bees, the author sees no reason why the 

 colonies should not be preserved for a number of years, and by im- 

 proving the quality of the bees the yield of honey may be considerably 

 increased. The natural food-yield of the district must also be 

 considered when starting an apiaiy. 



The author's apparatus and methods of obtaining fresh colonies 

 are described, and the paper concludes with a few notes by Rev. Father 

 Bertram on his experiences with the black hill variety of Apis indica, 

 some colonies of which were kept for several years, though others 

 would not colonise in hives. 



Beeson (C. F. C). The Life-history of Diapus furtivus, Sampson, 

 (Platypodidae). — Ind. Forest Records, Calcutta, vi, no. 1, 1917, 

 29 pp., 2 plates. [Received 23rd April 1917.] 



The Scolytid, Diajnis furtivus. Samps., is known to attack only 

 sal {Skorea robusta), though many insects associated with it in this 

 tree attack others as well. It breeds normally in newly dead or 

 felled trees and is therefore particularly abundant in felhng areas. 

 It is active throughout the year and is able to kill off trees with diseased 

 roots, though its attack is not fatal to trees weakened by defoliation, 

 creepers or unsuitable local conditions. The beetles bore a system 

 of galleries in the sap-wood and heart- wood on a definite pattern and 

 rear a brood of about 100 larvae. These larvae do not feed on the 

 wood, but on an ambrosia fungus which grows on the walls of the 

 brood galleries, supplemented by wood-sap. 



The life-cycle from the egg to the mature beetle lasts about 10 or 11 

 weeks, though this does not necessarily represent the length of a gener- 

 ation, as both the oviposition period of the female and the feeding 

 period of the young beetles before swarming are variable. Under the 

 the most favourable conditions, it would be theoretically possible for 

 a series of five generations to occur, provided that freshly felled or 

 dead timber is available at each successive swarming period. 



The chief economic importance of this pest hes in the technical 

 damage done to unbarked timber by the formation of shot-holes and 

 lines and stains in the wood. If forced to attack healthy hving trees, 

 the beetles do not penetrate beyond the outer layers of sap-wood, 

 when they are drowned by the flow of resin that invades the entrance 

 gallery. If, on the other hand, the timber is dead and dry, the sap 

 may be insufficient to provide nourishment for the complete deve- 

 lopment of the larvae and they therefore die with the parent beetles. 



