PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIED ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 831 



per cent, pebrine against 3 per cent, by the old system. The average 

 number examined by one man in one hour came to 46 whilst in the case 

 of the old system it was 57. 



The examination of the second lot on the seventh day after the 

 emergence of the moths showed 21 per cent, for the gut examination and 

 10 per cent, for the other. The rate of examination per hour was 42 

 in the case of the gut against .72 of the other. 



The percentage of detection is so high as to render the question of 

 time altogether a negligible factor. If for economising time and labour 

 we are ready to leave behind at least 50 per cent, of the diseased specimens 

 in our seeds I doubt whether we can ever expect to combat the ravages 

 caused by this disease. 



The figures put forward by Mr. De in his paper are taken from his 

 winter examinations of November-December-January crops, when 

 conditions are favourable for the Pasteur examination, and do not test 

 its efficiency for use in the Rains. My figures are from the May-July 

 crops, which is the period when these difficulties occur. Besides that, 

 in Mr. De's examinations the percentage of disease was so high as 70 to 

 80 per cent, diseased so that any method of examination would have 

 found pebrine. This high percentage in the Pusa Silk-house does not 

 reflect credit on the method adopted there for eliminating the disease. 



It has been stated by Mr. De that in Bengal the rate of examination 

 is very slow. But I think it very necessary that we should not examine 

 at a very high speed. Especially I would be the last to advocate the 

 examination of three moths per minute. It seems that the French 

 authority whom Mr. De has quoted is Monsieur Blachon who states 

 that 1,200 moths can be examined per day. But he does not specify 

 the number of hours per day to be eight hours and he also gives that 

 figure for the best examiners. M. L'Arbousset's figures, if I remember 

 right, are from 400 to 500 per day of eight hours. 



From what I have myself examined in my rearings on a large scale — 

 and I doubt whether anj^where else in India rearing is done on Such 

 a big scale as in Bengal in the Government nurseries, — I am convinced 

 that the gut system of examination will materially assist us in efiecting 

 a great deal of improvement towards the economic condition of the 

 industry. The question of tune is a very paltry matter in comparison 

 to the immense advantages this system is calculated to render towards 

 the successful results which will undoubtedly follow the adoption of 

 this method in preference to the old system. 



With your permission I beg to speak something by way of criticism Mr. Harihar 

 of Mr. De's valuable paper. As I am connected with sericulture and ^''*^*^- 

 pebrine for the last about ten years I have had some opportunity of 



VOL. 11 2d 



