194 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. (July, 1909. 
of the flower buds appears to serve the purpose of protecting 
the pollen against rain, while the violent expulsion of the pollen 
aids in its carriage by the visiting birds, their beaks being fre- 
quently found to be covered with pollen after visting the flowers. 
When the fruit is ripe the bird eats the succulent portion only, 
wiping off the seeds with its beak on a branch of the tree, to 
which they then remain attached owing to their viscid coating. 
If swallowed, the seeds are found to be digested and destroyed. 
Now these two methods although they both lead to the 
dispersion of the seed do so in somewhat different ways, and it 
would appear to be a matter of some importance that observa- 
tions should be undertaken as to the manner in which the seed of 
Loranthus vestitus is dispersed in Naini Tal. It is probable 
that there is some particular bird (or birds) which affects the 
oak trees and feeds upon the Loranthus seed, and it should not 
prove difficult to determine how the seed is spread by this 
agency. Also it should prove possible to determine whether any 
small mammals such as squirrels, etc., assist in this dispersion. 
There can, I think, be little doubt that the mossy coats of the 
trees greatly facilitate the adherence to, and subsequent ger- 
mination of, the seeds of the parasite on the oaks. 
I noticed that on a patch of ban oak near Peora (between 
Investigation has shown, as I have described elsewhere,' 
that the weakening of the trees under the attacks of the Loranthus 
leads to the attacks of bark-borer beetles and to those of 
Buprestid and Longicorn ones. 
e 
would appear advisable that seriously infested branches should 
be lopped from the trees—the cut being thickly tarred—and that — 
really badly infested trees should be removed. These are the 
ery which I would suggest being put into force in Naini Tal. 
Service I submitted my specimens to Dr. E. J. Butler, Imperial 
Mycologist to the Agricultural Department, for identification 
and advice upon the subject. Dr. Butler wrote in reply : “ie 
ad you have interested yourself on the subject, for T have long 
1 Ind. For. Records, vol. ii, pt. i. Beg 
2 Scotytipa : Dryocetes Hewetti, Steb.; Sphaecrotrypes querct, Steb.; 
BupPREstTiDz: Amorphosoma sp. ; CeramBycipa: Lophosternus Hugelis, 
Redtenb., Xylotrechus Smei, Lap. et Gory, Xylotrechus Stebbingi, Gahan. 
