100 THE ENTOMOLOGIST 'S RECORD. 
during the last two years with this object in view.” “We (in the Pun- 
jab) receive the parasites from Pusa im June and July and liberate them 
in the parasite breeding plots, and in this way we get them established 
by the time the cotton is in the ‘boll.’ When the parasites get well 
established in the parasite-breeding-plots we remove the affected bolls 
and place them in parasite-boxes which are sent out and placed in badly 
affected cotton fields.” ‘‘ By the second week in August we get the 
parasites established and from that time onwards we begin to distribute 
them until about November.” These parasite-boxes were “placed in 
boll-worm affected cotton-fields and left for a fortnight; at the end of 
that time, affected cotton-bolls in the adjacent area were collected and 
placed in other parasite boxes and distributed further.” ‘* These were 
used over and over again because all the parasites leave them within 
fifteen days. When the parasites were established the’ boxes were 
refilled with bollworm-affected bolls and distributed again.” ‘The 
conclusion we have arrived at is that by the use of the parasite boxes 
the attack of bollworm is generally lessened. Where the parasite-boxes 
are not used the attack is always bad.’”’ Mr. Fletcher sums the whole 
evidence, “I think that a great deal more investigation is required 
before we can say much definite about the real value of these parasites. 
Our experience at Pusa, in breeding these parasites under the most 
favourable conditions in special plots which are kept full of Harias, 
is that the percentage of parasitization is extremely low. The con- 
ditions of course may be different in the Punjab, but we want to know 
a great deal more about the matter.” 
‘Rice is far and away the most important crop grown in the Indian 
Empire” and nearly thirty pages are devoted to the consideration of 
the various pests. Attacking the seedlings we get the Hadenid moth 
Spodoptera mauritia, Thrips oryzae, a crab (Paratelphusa hydrodromus), 
etc. Attacking the leaves there is a long list of Lepidoptera of which 
Cirphis unipuncta (“ Army Worm.”), C. loreyi, and Nymphula depunctalis 
are the worst enemies, but the damage done by the many other species 
of Noctuidae, etc., dealt with, which are general grass feeders, must in 
the aggregate be very large. Two species of grasshopper attack the 
leaves as well as nearly a dozen species of Coleoptera. Insects which 
bore the stems of rice come next, two of which are of great importapce. 
Cecidomyia oryzae (Dip.), coloured Plate, and the moth Schoenobius 
bipunctifer, (Some 8. Ind. Ins.,” plt. xxix.), the latter a pest spread 
over the whole of South-Eastern Asia and estimated to cause damage 
to the amount of 100,000,000 rupees annually in Southern India alone, 
are fully discussed. The roots of paddy are apparently attacked by but 
few insect pests. Among Khyncophora or sucking insects most are 
minor pests, occasionally, and then only locally, doing damage to any 
extent. Of these Leptocorisa varicornis and Nephotettix bipunctatus, 
have hitherto been the most troublesome enemies. 
From the above extracts it will be seen that this is a most useful 
publication, which registers the actual work and observations carried on 
by the workers themselves under the guidance of a skilled and experi- 
enced organiser. We must congratulate Mr. Fletcher on the work he 
has furthered so well, and wish him all success in his endeavours to 
keep in touch with so wide-spread a band of skilled practical entomo- 
logists, and at the same time so to organise these biennial congresses — 
that each worker may in turn impart his detailed skill to others.— 
Bese a 
