38 Indian Insect Pests. [Vol. I. 



through in the course of three weeks or a month, and several generations 

 may occur in the year, the beetles assisting the larva? in their work of 

 destruction and finally hybernating, in any neighbouring shelter, in this 

 stage. 



As yet the beetle is the only stage in the insect's life of which 

 specimens have been received, but it is hoped that next year some of the 

 contributors to these " Notes on Economic Entomology " may interest 

 themselves in procuring specimens in other stages of development (egg, 

 larva and pupa), and also in studying its life history. Some of the 

 most important points to observe being, — the number of generations gone 

 through by the insect while it remains on the rice ; the manner in which 

 it passes its existence in the interval between disappearing in the 

 autumn and being again seen in the rains ; and last, but not least, the 

 methods which are likely t) be effectual in combating it. 



The effect of the pest would seem to be to stunt and weaken the 

 Damage done by the plants and cause them to yield but a small crop. 

 P est - The rice is apparently in no case completely de- 



stroyed by the insect, but the outturn may be reduced by from twelve 

 to fifty per cent. 



No very definite information has yet been received with regard to 



remedies: the only two that are mentioned as 

 .Remedies. J . ., 



adopted by the cultivators, being the smoking the 



insects out of the field, and the letting out of the water. 



With regard to the first of these remedies, Mr. P. W. Higgins, of 

 Chittagong, writes x : — 



" On my bearer informing me of its (i.e., Burmah chaudali) having attacked his 

 paddy, I advised him to try smoking them out, and he reported its having acted like a 

 charm ; in half an hour all had cleared off from the paddy. About four kamis were 

 attacked out of ten kamis planted. The modus operandi was as follows: — Fires of 

 paddy-straw, covered over with green leaves to increase the smoke, were placed about 

 the field at about 30 to 40 feet apart (a calm day was selected). When the smoke had 

 spread about a little, four men with torches of lighted paddy-straw, twisted up and 

 slightly damped on the outside to increase the smoke, went through the paddy, shak- 

 ing off the bugs and moving the smoking mass amongst the corn. The, bugs cleared 

 out entirely, but I cannot guarantee their having been destroyed." 



The smoking operation does not seem to have been tried elsewhere 

 on this pest, and as smoke has been found to be altogether ineffectual 

 against other insect pests on which it has been tried, the writer is inclined 

 to think that reliance should not be placed in the remedy until it has 

 been more definitely tested. 



With regard to the letting out of the water from the rice fields, as a 

 remedy for the pest, mentioned in a report 2 by the Deputy Collector 



1 In a letter to the Collector of Chittagong, forwarded by the Director of Land 

 Records and Agriculture, Bengal. See page 40. 



a Forwarded by the Collector of the 24-Pergunuahs. 



