548 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



figured largely and it was found ultimately that cotton as a field crop 

 was not expected to yield financially under the peculiar chmatic condi- 

 tions prevailing in Bihar, where the heavy rains during the growing 

 season were found to retard the growth of the plants so much that they 

 became stunted and sickly in growth. In consequence of this, the 

 flowering as well as the boiling periods were considerably lengthened 

 with the result that the Hnt in the open bolls was spoiled by the winter 

 rains. It was then found that, along with the climatic conditions, the 

 insect pests damaged the crop considerably and reduced the outturn 

 so much that it was not at all found profitable to grow it. In the^ 

 beginning, when the plants were hardly six to eight inches high, ground 

 grasshoppers, Chrotogonus spp., appeared in enormous numbers and 

 cut away the tops of the tender plants. In one year these were so 

 plentiful that in some plots three to four sowings had to be done before 

 germination could be secured. Later on, when the plants were a foot 

 high, large numbers of Sylepta derogata caterpillars appeared in large 

 numbers and damaged the crop considerably. Along with these 

 appeared the shoot- weevil, Alcides leopardus, and the stem- weevil, 

 Pempheres qffinis. The last was so severe, especially in the tree cottons 

 and other broad-leaved exotics, that almost all the plants were affected 

 and showed gall-like swellings on the stems. In some varieties these 

 gall-like swellings weakened the plants so much that they broke in two 

 with the first sharp storm of wind and rain. We tried several measures 

 to circumvent the pest but to no purpose. Removal of the affected 

 plants left very few plants in the plots to make the crop a success. 

 Broach desJii was sown as a trap crop between rows of tree cottons and 

 broad-leaved exotics but to no purpose. A series of plants was painted 

 with various deterrent mixtures but all to no purpose. The cost of 

 these was found to outweigh the profits. While these were present, 

 the leaf-hoppers, Empoasca notata, appeared in enormous swarms sucking 

 away the sap which would have gone to mature the plants. The leaves 

 curled badly, became pale and seared and dropped off prematurely. 

 The bollworms too did not fail to put in their appearance and com- 

 pleted the cycle by contributing their own share. The Red Cotton 

 Bug, Bysdercus cingulatus, and the dusky cotton bug, Oxycarenus icetus, 

 spoiled whatever little lint was left on the cotton plant. (Plate 93.) 



Such was the history of the cotton crop in its initial stage of intro- 

 duction in North Bihar and the consensus of opinion was that the crop 

 could under no circumstances be said to be a profitable one in the parti- 

 cular tract under the peculiar climatic conditions prevailing there.- 

 But with us the crop had a different function to perform. We had to- 

 grow it for carrying on the bollworms, Earias fabia, E. insulana and 



