1096 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXI. 



the Plains at Jaipur, Phillaur, Amritsar, Lahore, &c., but less commou 

 than other species. 



The question arises as to the identification of these species. The various 

 local floras follow the Flora of British India and mention Opuntia dillenii, 

 Haw. which cannot cover more than one of these species. An article ha& 

 appeared in the Records of the Botanical Survey of India, Vol IV., No. 6., 

 by Mr. Burkill called ' Determination of the Prickly Pears now wild in 

 India, ' in which the following species are mentioned for the area in ques- 

 tion: — O.monacantha, O,' cochinelif era, and O.elatior. Of these 0, cocJiinelifera 

 belonging to the sub-genus Nopalea I have not mentioned among the four 

 species, which all belong to the sub- genus Eu-Ojjuntia, shortly described 

 above, as I have not seen it except in gardens and hedges in Lahore where 

 it is by no means frequent. 



The article referred to does not give any description of the species dealt 

 with, but the following key to the species of Eu-Opuntia is given : — 



Spines falling except one long one on each cushion. O. ononacantha . 



Several large spines remaining on each cushion. 



Spines all straight, slender, tawny or purplish-black : 



Flowers orange. O. nigricans.. 



Flowers at opening lemon yellow changing to rose-pink. O. elatior.. 



Spines some curved, the largest stout, light horn colored 



in life, dai'kening in herbaria with age. O. dillenii. 



None of the species I mention would, according to this key, appear to be' 

 O. monacantha. No. 1 is, perhaps, the nearest, but in this species the 

 spines do not ' fall leaving only one long one on each cushion,' because as a 

 rule there are no spines at all. O. monacantha is referred to as a species 

 on which the cochineal insect lives, and of my species No. 4. is the only 

 one I have seen attacked. In 1906-07 I noticed the cochineal insect on 

 species No. 4, throughout the Kangra District, almost every clump being 

 attacked and in process of destruction. In 1909 I saw the same thing on 

 the same species in the Hazara District, but in a more advanced stage. 

 Here the remains of large clumps of Opuntia were common, the plants as a 

 rule being quite dead, though here and there a few could be seen sprouting 

 up from the root. Burkill mentions that O. monacantha has recently been 

 used much for clothing hillocks in Lahore ! Now the species used for this 

 purpose is my No. 1, and on it the cochineal insect apparently will not 

 live. When in the Kangra District I made a hedge of species No. 4 

 together with a few plants of No. 1, almost immediately after planting the 

 former was attacked by the cochineal insect, whereas the latter escaped 

 completely. It is I think evident that Bvirkill's O. monacantha refers to 

 two species. Species No. 2 according to the key would appear to be O. 

 dillenii, and No. 3 O. nigncans. 

 I have endeavore.d to identify the Opuntias 1 have mentioned with the help 



