﻿PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  FOURTH 
  ENTOMOLOGICAL 
  MEETING 
  87 
  

  

  these 
  are 
  sure 
  to 
  be 
  not 
  so 
  healthy 
  as 
  they 
  should 
  have 
  been. 
  This 
  

   phase 
  of 
  the 
  question 
  opens 
  up 
  new 
  fields 
  for 
  investigation. 
  The 
  bug 
  

   not 
  only 
  injures 
  the 
  seed 
  but 
  is 
  the 
  immediate 
  cause 
  of 
  the 
  reduction 
  of 
  

   the 
  vitality 
  of 
  seed 
  through 
  successive 
  generations 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  render 
  it 
  more 
  

   amenable 
  to 
  the 
  attack 
  of 
  the 
  insect 
  pests 
  and 
  possibly 
  fungoid 
  diseases. 
  

   The 
  bug 
  affects 
  the 
  flowers 
  and 
  the 
  buds 
  and 
  is 
  the 
  immediate 
  cause 
  of 
  

   the 
  shedding 
  of 
  these 
  in 
  enormous 
  numbers. 
  Anyone 
  who 
  has 
  noted 
  

   this 
  fall, 
  especially 
  after 
  a 
  light 
  shower 
  of 
  rain 
  accompanied 
  by 
  

   wind, 
  will 
  have 
  been 
  struck 
  with 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  loss 
  brought 
  about 
  by 
  

   such 
  a 
  premature 
  shedding. 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  here 
  wish 
  to 
  convey 
  the 
  impression 
  

   that 
  the 
  fall 
  of 
  the 
  bolls 
  is 
  entirely 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  dusky 
  cotton 
  

   bug. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  possibly 
  due 
  to 
  a 
  special 
  disease, 
  not 
  well 
  known 
  and 
  

   investigated 
  by 
  this 
  time, 
  but 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  given 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  

   boll 
  disease 
  in 
  the 
  West 
  Indies. 
  These 
  investigations 
  on 
  this 
  disease 
  

   are 
  in 
  course 
  of 
  progress 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  expected 
  considerable 
  light 
  will 
  be 
  

   thrown 
  on 
  the 
  mysterious 
  disease. 
  If 
  the 
  premature 
  fall 
  of 
  the 
  bolls 
  

   could, 
  by 
  any 
  means, 
  be 
  checked 
  or 
  restrained, 
  the 
  damage 
  done 
  by 
  the 
  

   boll-worms 
  will 
  be 
  inconsiderable. 
  To 
  my 
  knowledge, 
  this 
  fall 
  of 
  the 
  

   flower 
  buds, 
  flowers 
  and 
  newly 
  s^^t 
  bolls 
  is 
  far 
  more 
  than 
  the 
  percentage 
  

   of 
  bolls 
  damag; 
  d 
  by 
  the 
  boll- 
  worms, 
  Earias 
  jabia, 
  E. 
  insukma 
  and 
  Plat- 
  

   yedra 
  gossypiella. 
  Of 
  course, 
  I 
  have 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  this 
  premature 
  fall 
  

   may 
  be 
  due 
  to 
  physiological 
  causes, 
  connected 
  with 
  sub-soil 
  moisture, 
  

   soil 
  aeration, 
  drainage, 
  manure 
  and 
  the 
  peculiar 
  susceptibility 
  of 
  the 
  

   particular 
  variety 
  or 
  varieties 
  of 
  cotton 
  to 
  this 
  cause. 
  

  

  The 
  damaged 
  seeds 
  become 
  light 
  and 
  somewhat 
  discoloured. 
  In 
  a 
  

   few 
  localities 
  where 
  cotton 
  cultivation 
  is 
  much 
  advanced 
  and 
  the 
  cultiva- 
  

   tors 
  are 
  intelligent 
  enough 
  to 
  safeguard 
  the 
  loss 
  of 
  time 
  and 
  money, 
  the 
  

   seeds 
  are 
  tested 
  prior 
  to 
  sowing. 
  They 
  are 
  roughly 
  rubbed 
  with 
  the 
  

   hands 
  previously 
  moistened 
  with 
  a 
  mixture 
  of 
  cowdung 
  and 
  well 
  sifted 
  

   earth. 
  This 
  has 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  removing 
  the 
  lint 
  or 
  adhering 
  it 
  to 
  the 
  seeds. 
  

   Thus 
  given 
  a 
  preliminary 
  treatment 
  they 
  are 
  thrown 
  in 
  a 
  tub 
  of 
  water. 
  

   Any 
  that 
  float 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  are 
  rejected, 
  those 
  that 
  sink 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  are 
  

   taken 
  out, 
  pickled 
  again 
  with 
  a 
  mixture 
  of 
  cowdung 
  and 
  earth, 
  well 
  

   rubbed 
  with 
  hand 
  and 
  aerated 
  in 
  shade. 
  Thus 
  some 
  rough 
  and 
  ready 
  

   selection 
  of 
  seeds 
  is 
  done 
  but 
  is 
  not 
  very 
  satisfactory. 
  What 
  is 
  required, 
  

   is 
  a 
  better 
  method 
  of 
  prevention 
  of 
  the 
  loss 
  and 
  selection 
  of 
  the 
  seed, 
  

   so 
  as 
  to 
  raise 
  its 
  vitality 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  produce 
  plants 
  which 
  would 
  throw 
  off 
  

   the 
  attack 
  of 
  the 
  insect 
  pests 
  or 
  minimize 
  it 
  to 
  such 
  an 
  extent 
  that 
  it 
  

   will 
  not 
  be 
  felt 
  appreciably. 
  

  

  Hitherto 
  only 
  one 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  bug, 
  Oxycarenus 
  Icetus, 
  has 
  been 
  

   noticed 
  by 
  me, 
  but 
  there 
  are 
  records 
  in 
  previous 
  Indian 
  literature 
  wherein 
  

   Oxycarenus 
  luguhris 
  has 
  been 
  recorded 
  from 
  Serin 
  ■ 
  ■> 
  atam, 
  Lahore 
  

  

  g2 
  

  

  