No. 3. ] White Insect Wax in India. 97 



move but little from the food plant and often live on until after their 

 eggs have hatched in the cold weather. The larvse, and to a less extent 

 the images, are covered virith masses of white flocculent matter, which is 

 tliought to.be secreted by small glands distributed over the abdomen, 

 and opening by minute pores in the integument. Tbe sugary matter is 

 said to be excreted in a liquid state by the larvse, and drops on to the 

 leaves, where it hardens. Little is known of the method of its origin, 

 but it is likely to be secreted by the large glaud-like organs which are 

 situated on either side at the extremity of the abdomen in the larvae 

 (Fig. 2 d). _ 



Tlie specimens, furnished by the Forest Department, consist of larvse 

 and pieces of sugary secretion found by Mr. W. P. Thomas, in February 

 1889 in the Narsingpur district of the Central Provinces. The insects 

 were found on the green succulent coppice shoots of Elaoclendron roX' 

 hurghii^ growing on elevated ground, and the sugary secretion was found 

 coating the leaves below where the larvse were feeding. Mr. Thomas 

 ascertained that the KoorJcoos and other tribes know the insect, but make 

 no use of the sugary secretion, which they say has a narcotic effect when 

 eaten. To this Mr. K. H. E. Thompson adds that he has found the insect 

 both in several of the warmer valleys of the North-Western Himalayas, 

 and also at elevations, ranging from a thousand to fifteen hundred feet 

 above sea-level, in the forest-clad country of the CJentral Provinces to the 

 south of the river Ganges. He notices that in Garhwal the natives eat the 

 sugary secretion and call the insects Dhaberi, i e. " sheep,^^ on account of 

 their habit of clustering together and jumping away when disturbed. 



In the collections of the Indian Museum are representatives of the 

 species from Dehra Dun, Sikkim, Naga Hills, Cachar, Margherita 

 (Assam), Tavo}^ and Siara. 



Calctta : I E. C. COTES, 



6Ui May 1891. J litiiau Miisawi. 



GoTernmeui.of India CeuUal Pauting Office.— No. 2i8 R. & A.— 5-10-91. ~],000.—F. T. B, 



