$q. ]_. ] Miscellaneous Notes. 21 



an«l the circumstance which is said to indicate the approach of plentiful rain is a 

 plague of a species of hairy caterpillar which literally covers the country, destroying the 

 herbage and swarming on the roads to such an extent that thousands of them must bo 

 trodden under foot by passing wayfarers. Contact with the hairs produces irritation 

 and even sores. The caterpillar is said to turn into a species of yellow butterfly or 

 moth about August. Burmese name Paganngde or Rugaungde." 



The specimens have been forwarded to Mr. ¥. Moore 1 for favour of 

 determination, and further information is awaited from Burma. 



Mr. R. TI. Morris of Mysore sent (21st April 1891) a series of moths 



which he has reared from the Mysore coffee 

 Mysore coffee ringer. . . J •*' 



ringer caterpillars noticed m Volume 11, page 

 7, of these Notes. Five of these moths belonged to the species Agrotis 

 segetum Schiff., while the sixth was a Heliofhis arm.igera Hiibn., which is 

 not thought likely to have been connected with the " ringing " of the 

 youno* coffee plants. Comparing these specimens with the ones noticed on 

 page 7 of Volume II of these Notes, we find that out of eight moths reared 

 from caterpillars thought to be the destructive coffee ringers of Mysore, 

 six belong to the species Agrotis segetum, one to the species Iletiothis arm?,- 

 (/era, and one to a species which has been identified through the kind 

 help of Mr. F. Moore as Orthosia bicornis Hampson. It may be con- 

 cluded that Agrotis segetum is the insect chiefly concerned in the injury 

 to the coffee (Coffea arahica) plants. 



With regard to the practicability of poisoning such caterpillars by 

 strewino* the ground with succulent cabbage leaves sprinkled with London 

 purple, as has been recommended by the United States Entomologist 

 (vide page 33 of Volume I of these Notes), some London purple was 

 sent to Mr. Morris for experiment, but he writes that, though it certainly 

 poisons the caterpillars, the cost and difficulty of laving down the 

 poisoned leaves over so large an area as a coffee estate, are prohibitive. 



In March 1892 specimens were forwarded by the Director of the 



Forest School, Dehra, of an Aphid which was 

 found attacking the leaves of Bamhtsa 

 arnndinacea in the school compound. The insect covered the leaves with 

 a black sticky gum which was in such quantities that it fell off in drops. 

 The insect is unnamed in the Museum collection, and specimens have 

 therefore been forwarded to Europe for comparative examination. 



In July 1890 an obscure Geometrid caterpillar, insufficient for precise 



1 The insect lias since been identified by Mr. Moore as a new species of SjL>ahria t which 

 be is describing as Spalyria minor. 



