92 THE AGRICULTURAL PESTS OF INDIA. 



Penicillaria spicata, Willd., the bulrush millet, suffers 

 still more than Sorghum vulgare from the microscopic 

 fungus known to English farmers as ' bunt/ and in the 

 -North- Western Provinces is reported to be often infected 

 with a species of mildew called ' bagulia ' (Puccinia, sp.\ 

 which manifests itself first in spots on the foliage, and then 

 in total destruction of the grain. But it owes in great 

 measure its liability to these diseases to the poverty of 

 the soil on which it is cultivated, and the mildew is said 

 to be most destructive in cases where it has been grown 

 too frequently on the same land. Next to an absolute 

 failure of rain, this millet suffers most from damp or 

 rainy weather while it is in flower, by which the proper 

 fertilization of the flowers is prevented. The stamens 

 hang outside the flower-envelopes entirely unprotected 

 from the weather, and it is perhaps to this that the 

 Penicillaria owes its peculiar liability to damage from 

 rain. If rain fall in the beginning of October, it is no 

 uncommon thing to see a Penicillaria field with hardly a 

 single grain formed on its spikes. D. & F. Vern. 

 JSajra. 



Periplaneta. See Cockroach. 



Phaseolus radiatus, Linn., is the ' urd ' or ' mash.' If 

 there be a long continuance of damp easterly winds, the 

 plants suffer greatly from mildew. D. & F. Vern. Urd, 

 Mash. 



Phyllotreta nemorum, turnip-fly of Britain. 



Phylloxera. See Aphides. 



Phymatea punctata aided in destroying the coffee 

 industry of Ceylon. See Cicadidse ; Coffee Trees. 



Physalia pelagica, the Portuguese man-o'-war, stings if 

 handled, causing a good deal of irritation. See Actinese. 



Pipsa, a troublesome dipterous insect which swarms 



