376 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXIV. 



idea of applying to the western charpoy the bearings which it had applied 

 without success to the eastern one. 



G. B. F. MUIR, i.c.s. 

 Mayo College, Ajiiek, 



loth September 1915. 



No. XXVIII.— THE LIFE HISTORY OF CERTAIN INSECTS. 



[In September last Mr. C. Beeson, the Forest Zoologist, Dehra Dun, 

 wrote asking us to forveard a letter, in which he asked for information on 

 the life history of certain insects, to the reviewer of " Indian Forest Insects." 

 This we did and it has been suggested that we might publish this letter on 

 the chance that members might be able to assist Mr. Beeson in his 

 enquiries — Eds.] 



" In your review of Mr. Stebbing's book on "Indian Forest Insects" in 

 the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, XXIII, No. 4, you 

 refer to several points of considerable interest which indicate that you are 

 in possession of information on some forest pest species, which this branch 

 of the Forest Research Institute has not yet recorded. 



I should consider it an act of great courtesy if you would favour me 

 with any data that you may have on the species noted in the attached list. 

 I am working at present on several of them and would be glad to have all 

 the information now available, as to host-plants, distribution, seasonal 

 occurrence, etc. I should naturally make full acknowledgment for all 

 information received, when recording it in the specific ledger files, but at 

 present do not immediately contemplate publishing any account of these 

 particular species. 



The number of workers on forest insects in India is lamentably small, 

 and one therefore welcomes any additional evidence that will confirm or 

 add to the knowledge of life histories." 



List of species referred to in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History 

 Society, XXIII. 4, pp. 763 — 767, now under investigation at Forest 

 Research Institute, Dehra Dun. 



Hepialidce. 



Phassus malabaricus. A serious pest of plantation teak in Burma, Assam 

 and Madras Are other hosts known, and what is the life cycle in 

 Trema orientalis in Bombay ? 



Phassus sp. Is the species in Strobilanthes known ? 



Cossidcs. 



Duomitus ceramicus. There is no record of the hosts of this species in 

 India. Information wanted on its association with figs. 



Pyralidce. 



Pi/rausta machceralis. No other hosts of this species except teak are re- 

 corded. It feeds on other Verbenacece its seasonal history in localities 

 where teak comes into leaf late is cleared up. What hosts are known? 



Chrysomelidce. 



Haltica sp. Is the identity of this species available ? 



Larinus sp. Ditto. • 



O. BEESON, 



Forest Zoologist. 

 Dehra Dun, 



September 1915. 



