762 



'EOCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



I think we might have a Resolution to that effect. I therefore 

 propose the following Resolution : — 



" This Meeting considers that there is considerable danger of the 

 introduction into India of bee-dissases by the unrestricted importation 

 of bses, beeswax and honey from countries infected with such diseases, 

 and that such importation should therefore only be permitted under 

 necessary restrictions." 



I second that Resolution. 



[The Resolution was thereupon put to the Meeting and carried unani- 

 mously.] 



As to the loss due to the attacks of Wax-moth, my idea is that the 

 Wax-moth attacks when the colony gets weak ; when you have a 

 really strong colony, the Wax-moth larvae will never feel happy 

 inside the combs. So keep your colony numerically strong. It is always 

 useful to keep one inch space between the bottom of the hive and the 

 lower bar of the comb, so that the bees have enough space to go under. 

 At the bottom of the hive-box there is always some debris accumulated 

 in which the Wax-moth caterpillars are sometimes found to live and 

 thrive ; if the lower. bar of the comb be very near the bottom of ^ the 

 box, the caterpillars will crawl up and attack the comb. 



42.— LAC-CULTURE IN INDIA. 

 By C. S. MiSRA, B.A., First Assistant to the Imperial Entomologist. 

 From ancient history it is known that lac has been cultivated in 

 India since very remote times. The very name of Palas {Butea frondosa) 

 Laksha-taru, shows that the ancient people of India knew the tree to 

 nourish a iafo/ja— one hundred thousand insects. From ancient litera- 

 ture it is also evident that the Rishis of India prohibited the use of such 

 Laksha-taru twigs as had small scarlet excrescences on them — possibly 

 the lac encrustations. In the Mahabharat in the Adi-Parva when the 

 Kauravas meditated destruction of the Pandavas they requisitioned 

 the services of the architect Pm-ochak to construct such a house which 

 would destroy them. Purochak, therefore, decided to build a house 

 of Lac which when once ignited would soon catch fire and prevent the 

 Pandavas from escaping. Early in 250 A.D., iElian mentioned that 

 there was an insect in India which yielded colouring matter. We also 

 find Lac mentioned in Ain-i-akbari. In 1590 Akbar, the Great Moghal 

 Emperor, laid down rules for the proper making of varnish to be aj^plied 

 to the doors of palaces. We have the first descriptive account of the 

 resin from John Huyglen von Linachoten when he was deputed in 



