f%> v ' Mil 



Vol. III.] 



[ No. 1. 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 

 By E. 0. Cotes, Offy. Depu'i/ Superintendent, Indian Museum. 



A good deal of damage is said to have been done in 1 8U1 to young 



Koring insects in sandal sandal wood (San/alum album) trees in i\l ysore 

 wood and tea stems. by a boring insect. According to a report., 



dated 13th July 1891, by the Assistant Conservator of forests, Mysore, 

 furnished through the Director of the Dehra Dim Forest School, this borer 

 attacks both the stem and the roots, either killing the sapling outright or 

 weakening it, so that it is liable to get blown over by the wind. Sandal 

 wood yields an important revenue to the Mysore State, so that any 

 damage done to the young trees is of consequence. 



The insect that seems to be chiefly responsible for the damage is the 

 caterpillar of the moth Zeuzera coffra Nielner, a species which occasion- 

 ally att.icks both coffee (Co[fea arahica) and tea {Camellia tfieijera) 

 bushes. 



Some Coleopterous larvce, however, which appear to be Tenebrioiiid(£ } have 

 also been received, but are not thought likely to have played more than a 

 subordinate part in injuring the sandal wood saplings. The identity of 

 the insect was made out from a moth which emerged in the Museum, 

 on 9th February 1892, from some affected sandal wood stems that were 

 kindly furnished by Mr. J Cameron, Superintendent of the Govern- 

 ment Gardens, Bangalore. The only suggestion that could be made 

 for dealing with the insect was to cut out and burn the infested stems 

 and thus prevent the spreading of the pest. The figure shows the various 

 stages of the Zeuzera with a piece of wood bored by it, all natural size. 



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