lit) SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



Such of the Rhynchota as are of economic importance in respect 

 of the injury which they inflict upon the tea plant are described 

 ill considerable detail in the second edition of " The Pests and 

 Blights of the Tea Plant," by Sir George Watt and Harold H. 

 Mann, Calcutta, 1903 : see Chapter XIV., pages 247-319. 



In this useful volume we are told that " the damage done by the 

 tea mosquito* and the tea green flyf alone probably equals that of 

 all other pests taken together." Nearly forty pages are devoted 

 to the discussion of the attacks of the " tea mosquito " and of the 

 ways in which they may be withstood or prevented. Mr. E. E. 

 Green's discovery^ of the " hibernation" of the insect on the tea 

 bush itself is quoted and confirmed as an important guide in 

 devising methods of isolation and prevention. During the dor- 

 mant periods, when the pest is not active, the mature females, which 

 may be found lurking in the bushes by careful searching for them, 

 contain on the average more than half as many eggs again as are 

 found during the attacks, i.e., twelve to thirteen eggs per insect 

 during the dormant periods, as against eight eggs during the 

 periods of attack {see Watt and Mann, op. cit., page 269). 



With regard to remedial measures the authors come to the 

 conclusion that careful collection of the insects in the early part 

 of the year is the best method of grappling with the evil. 



In Ceylon it appears from Mr. Green's observations, quoted by 

 the above-named authors on page 265 of their book, that the 

 periodicity of the insect is subject to fluctuations within the year. 

 In the Kelani Valley, for example, the worst attack takes place in 

 July and August, after which it decreases to a minimum in 

 November, increasing again in virulence until a second though 

 less serious climax is reached in March, After this the pest 

 declines, practically disappearing in May. The recrudescence 

 commences towards the end of June. There are thus two periods 

 of major infestation in March and August, and two minor or 

 quiescent periods in May and November. The March rise coin- 

 cides with a period of comparative drought, and the August crisis 

 is accompanied by heavy rains (Green, Circ. Roy. Bot. Gardens, 

 1902, No. 2, page 24). 



4. Dendrophis hifrenalis, Boulenger (Rept. Ind., p. 338). — 

 Since reference was made to this tree snake on pages '^Q and 87 in 



* Hvhipeltu antonli, Signoret ; sub-order Heteroptera. family Capsidse. 



t Cklorita Jfavescrna, Fabr. = Empnasca Jfarescens [Melichar, op. cit., p. '21o], 

 Hub-order Homoptera, family Jassidfe. 



X Green, E. E., Further Observations on Helopeltis, Circ. Roy. Bot. Garden.^. 

 Ceylon, vol. II., No. 2, June, 1902. 



