]^0- 2- ] Miscellaneous Notes. 99 



than three-fourths of the plants died, but the grubs disappeared and 

 the plants that remained seemed vigorous ; so it is possible that the 

 plants which died were merely those which had previously been injured 

 by the grubs. It should he noticed, however, that Kerosene emulsion is 

 not usually recommended for use against cut worms or Elateridse larva 

 in other parts of the world. In India hand-picking seems to be the only 

 method that lias hitherto been adopted for righting these classes of 

 insects, which live chiefly underground. In England ploughing o-as 

 lime into the land when the crop is off the ground has been recommended 

 against similar insects, while such dressings as soot, guano, nitrate of 

 soda, salt, and rape dust are all said to be useful. 



In January 1892 a few specimens of the white wax insect Ceroplasfes 



ceriferus Anderson, were forwarded to the 



White insect wax. ■**■ i at t t^~ * u l j_i i 



Museum by Mr. J. Ueveria, who wrote that 



it was plentiful on trees in Purulia. This is of interest in case more 



specimens of the insect are wanted in connection with the inquiry dealt 



with in Volume II, No. 3, of the : e Notes, 



In March 1892 specimens of the rice sapper (Lfptocorisa acuta 



Thunb.) were forwarded to the Museum by 

 The rice sapper in Ceylon. , ^ . ,. , m . ,. • ,-, , 



Major Yerbury from lrmcomali m Ceylon, 



where the insect was said to have proved destructive to the rice crop, 



In April 1892 an insect was received through the kindness of Messrs. 

 A supposed enemy to the tea Barry & Co., with the information that it was 

 P lanL thought to h ive been the cause of some damage 



to tea bushes in Cachar. The insect proves to be one of the Curculionidse 

 beetles. It is identical with a specimen in the Museum collection which 

 has been determined as Astycus chrysochlorus Wied. It had been for- 

 warded by Mr. John Leekie of Cachar, who was of opinion that it wa s 

 responsible for the stripping of the young leaves off the tea shoots, noticed 

 in several parts of the garden. The insect is not unlikely to feed on 

 the young tea shoots, but it has not previously been reported in this 

 connection, and is not expected to occasion much injury, 



The Brinjal [Solanum Melongena) fruit, which is brought to the 

 _ ■ . . , Calcutta market is sometimes found to be at- 



Brnrjal borer. • i «j 



tacked by the caterpillar or a microlepidop- 

 terous insect which bores into it much in the way that the caterpillar of 

 the coddling moth bores into apples. Caterpillars of the brinjal borer 

 obtained on the 26th April 1892 began to emerge, in the Museum, as 



