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Green quotes a quaint native legend concerning these insects, to the 

 effect that in a previous life tbey existed in the human form, when 

 amongst other crimes they made a regular trade of stealing fire-wood ; 

 at their death their souls were sent into the bodies of insects and con- 

 demned to perpetually carry about with them a faggot of wood. This 

 species is also found on the coffee ]»lant. 



The Borer {Zeuzera coffe(c). — This insect which has been so fre- 

 quently treated as a coffee enemy and so known to planters as the " Red 

 Borer " is by no means uncommon as a borer of the tea-plant. It belongs 

 to the Cossince. 



The Tea Bark-louse {Aspidiotus thew). — This is one of the most 

 serious enemies of the plant and is very noticeable at the time of 

 pruning. 



The Yellow Bark-louse {Aspidiotus flavescens). — This is a smaller 

 species than A. thea\ but is much more readily recognized on account 

 of its yellow color contrasting with the bark, while A. thece is of the 

 same color as the bark. 



The Transparent-scaled Bark-louse {As2ndiotus transparens.) — 

 This species has been noticed only in small numbers and prefers the 

 leaf to the bark. The scales are small, round, and colorless, and the 

 insects can be plainly seen beneath them. 



The Lobster Caterpillar (Stauropus alternus). — This is a large 

 leaf-feeding species, and when five occur upon a single plant the leaves 

 become completely devoured. It is a close ally to the Lobster Cater- 

 pillar of Europe, >S' fagi. 



The Red Tea-mite or Red Spider {Tetranychus biactdatus). — This 

 mitoproduces a copper sunburnt appearance of the leaves and it will 

 be remembered as having previously been described by Mr. Wood- 

 Mason as affecting the tea-plant in Assam. Mr. Green thinks it identi- 

 cal with the species described by Mr. Nietner as the " Red Spider of the 

 coffee tree {Acarus Coffe(c).^^ 



The Five-legged Tea-mite {TypModromus carinatus). — This spe- 

 cies, Mr. Green says, is closely related to the Rust-mite of the orange* 

 (T. oleivorus Ashm.) which feeds on both sides of the leaf, while the 

 Red Spider is confined to the upper surface. He advised one part of 

 kerosene emulsion to eighty parts of water, or one part of Phenile to 

 two hundred and forty parts of water. 



The Yellow Tea-mite {Acarus translucens). — This mite produces 

 the condition called " sulky" and feeds upon the buds. The living in- 

 sects can be found only upon the bud and the underside of the two fol- 

 lowing leaves, and as each fresh bud opens the colony moves higher up, 

 deserting the lower leaves, but these remain injured and always re- 

 tain the marks of the insects. Excepting the Tea Bark-louse Mr. Green 

 considers this to be the most serious pest to the plant. He thinks that 

 the systematic destruction of all tea prunings while still green would 

 prove an immense check to this pest and others. 

 11540— i^o. 5 3 



