igoy-] Rtxords of the Indian Museum. 175 



In February 1907 the Museum Collector obtained a young 

 specimen of the Giant Cotton Bug, Lohiia grandis . Gray, with a 

 seed-like object, about the size of an ordinary pea, attached to its 

 rostrum ; and although the insect received a good deal of handling, 

 the object remained suspended to the rostrum. Mr. I. H. Burkill, 



Young Lohita grandis sucking seed of Ipomcea. 



of the Industrial Section of the Indian Museum, identified the 

 seed as that of a species of Ipomoea. Its shell is very hard ; no 

 impression can be made on it with an ordinary knife, and it appears 

 wonderful how such a smaU insect could have thrust its proboscis 

 into the seed. On careful examination of several seeds of the same 

 kind, I found, on one side of the seed, a very small raised spot, with 

 a slight depression in the centre. This is the only penetrable part 

 in the seed and is doubtless the part the bug chooses for the inser- 

 tion of its proboscis. 



A few specimens of Dermatinus luguhris, Dist., were collected 

 by Mr. R. Hodgart at BareiUy, United Provinces, and at Songara, 

 Gonda district, in March 1907. Hitherto there was only one 

 specimen of this species in the ^Museum Collection, from Chatrapur, 

 Ganjam district. Madras and Pondicherry are the only localities 

 recorded by Mr. Distant. 



One specimen of Gerbilius ornatus, Dist., was obtained by Mr. 

 R. Hodgart at Nagla, Naini Tal district, in March 1907. This 

 is the only specimen now in the ]\Iuseum Collection. Mr. Distant 

 records it from Bor Ghat [Dixon) and Ceylon (Green). 



Vesbius purpureus, Thunb., is recorded by Mr. Distant from 

 Assam, Khasi Hills (Distant Collection) ; Ceylon (Green) ; Burma : 

 Bhamo (Fea) ; Java ; Philippines. On the 3rd March 1907 the 

 Museum Collector obtained one specimen in Calcutta. There are 

 two others in the Museum Collection, one from Calcutta and the 

 other from Margherita, Upper Assam. 



Specimens of Salda dixoni, Dist. , were found to be very common 

 at Theog, 8,000 feet, Simla hills, at the beginning of May 1907, 

 by Dr. N. Annandale, who states that they are abundant there at 

 the edge of a pond, and are verv active, jumping about and taking 

 to the wing readily, but never flying far. They are able to run 

 and leap on the surface of the water. :Mr. Distant considered 

 this species rare, as he says in his volume on the Rhynchota m 



