192 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [July, 1909, 
* 
to suck out the sap from the crowns and all the branches when 
in any quantity on a tree. 
Description of the Loranthus,— Loranthus vestitus is a small 
branching woody plant with dirty yellowish green leaves which 
are dark shining green above. It grows in great clumps and 
masses on iy trees, resembling a giant mistletoe 
The fruit is yellowish and fleshy, and is almost sessile on. 
the stem, hick it thickly studs. 
Damage done.—It is obvious since the Loranthus draws 
much of its sustenance from its host that the vitality of the 
latter must be to some extent impaired thereby. If this drain 
exerted by the parasite continually increases in intensity, the 
tree is finally killed. The damage done is easily recognizable. 
Infested trees appear to be dying from the crown downwards 
or ap ee the whole crown of the tree, are seen to be bear- 
ing one or more clumps of the small thin-branched Loranthus 
swollen 
and satherd Gradually all the leaves of the host plant dis- 
appear, and the true crown of the tree consists of bunched-up 
masses of branches of the parasite. mere the oak tree dies, 
and its death is followed by that of the parasite 
As usually found in nature a tree is rarely sifectad by more 
than one or two clumps of the parasite situated on a branch 
which may in consequence of the drain upon it dry up and drop 
off, thus leading to the death of the Loranthus. 
In Naini Tal, however, the state of affairs as at present 
app soem is very different. Trees ma be observed in the 
re with the thick masses of the small = Sa yellow, brown- 
leaved thin-branched Loranthus. The drain of sap thus set up 
results in a hideous contortion and deformation of the branches 
of the oak trees themselves, those bearing the parasite being 
swollen up into knots and burrs and thicknesses, and often pre- 
senting a most fantastic and bizarre appearance. 
Of the power of the Loranthus to kill the trees no one who 
has seen the condition of many of the oaks in Naini Tal can 
have any doubt, 
The reason for the present state of affairs is two-fold, and 
may perhaps be explainable as follows - 
