154 MR. E. P. STKBBIIf0 ON THK 



leaves, and upon the flower-panicles which open in April. The 

 production of the seed, is thus probably considerably interfered 

 with. 



(c) The damage caused to young saplings is perhaps even 

 more serious, as the insects congregate round the leading shoot 

 and the upper side ones, extending down each for several inches 

 in a serried encircling mass. The leading shoot is often killed, 

 and side ones taking its place follow suit, and the young sapling 

 takes on a crooked habit of growth most detrimental to its 

 future value as a forest tree. 



Pi. 18, a, shows the female scales collected on a young sapling 

 in this manner. 



It may be interesting to note that in the 1901 attack the 

 scale was accompanied over a portion of the Dun Sal areas by 

 the larva of 'Boarmia selenaria, Hiibn., a geometrid moth. This 

 larva was in thousands, and devoured the Sal-leaves in the most 

 voracious manner. In fact all the green parts of the tree — 

 leaves, buds, the green shoots of the year, together with the 

 white inflorescences — were eaten down, nothing but the blackish 

 last year's growth being left. The larvae (PI. 18, h, h) can be 

 seen in characteristic attitudes on the upper part of the tree, 

 which they had stripped bare of all green growth. The scales 

 are collected lower down upon the leading shoot in a serried 

 mass. 



In the sugary secretion emitted by the scales, a black fungus 

 develops and envelops the leaves and twigs, and doubtless helps 

 further to clog up the stomata. Dr. Butler, Cryptogamic 

 Botanist to the Grovernment of India, has informed me that 

 much of this fungus belongs to the genus Capnodium, which is 

 almost always associated with scale-iu sects. The Oapnodium 

 was present in three other forms : — 



(a) Cladosporium, Link (syn. Fumago, Pers.). 



(b) Triposporium sp., 



(c) Coniothecium sp. ; 



these three being conidial stages in various species of Cap- 

 nodium. 



