JJo. I] Further Notes. 39 



of Basirhat, this would appear to be more promising, though it would 

 obviously be only possible to adopt it in certain cases. In this connection 

 the Deputy Collector of Basirhat notices that only rice which is almost 

 completely submerged is attacked, the attack lasting only so long as 

 the water remains in the field, and the rice which grows where there is 

 but little water being exempt. 



Arsenical washes, such as London purple and Paris green, have been 

 found useful in America for destroying the elm leaf beetle, which belongs 

 to the same family as Hispa cenescens, and these preparations would no 

 doubt be equally effective in destroying the Rice Hispa, but the cost of 

 their application would seem likely to be prohibitive. 



The following description of the beetle by Mr. Jacob S. Baly was 

 published iu the Journal, Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume LV, Fart II, 

 page 412 (1886). 



" Subelongata, nitida, subtus cum antennis nigra, pedibus nigro-ceneo micantihus ; 



supra nigro-ceneo aut nigro-cuprea ; thorace rugoso-punC' 



ispamnese tato, lateribus ante medium spinis quatuor, hasi connatis 



et pone medium spina unica armatis ; elytris anguste oblongis, fortiter seriato' 



punctatis, spinis validis triseriatim dispositis, instruciis. Long. 2 lin. 



" Hab. Chittagong District. 



" Antennae slender, very slightly thickened towards the apex, the basal joint armed 

 at its apex beneath with a short tooth; vertex finely rugulose, longitudinally sulcate. 

 Thorax rather broader than long, subcylindrical, flattened on the disk ; sides armed 

 before the middle with four stout spines, united into a single stem at their base, the 

 anterior spine looking almost directly upwards, the three others obliquely upwards 

 and outwards ; behind the middle is also a single spine, looking outwards and slightly 

 upwards, hinder angle armed with a short subacute tooth; disk coarsely rugose- 

 punctate, a longitudinal vitta and a slightly concave space on either side behind the 

 middle nearly free from punctures. Scutellum smooth, impunctate. Elytra narrowly 

 oblong, strongly seriate-punctate, armed with a number of strong erect spines, arranged 

 in three longitudinal rows, those on the outer row more crowded than those on the 

 disk. Legs simple. 



" The small tooth at the lower edge of the apex of the basal joints of the antennae, 

 and the absence of any spines on the upper surface of the joints, together with the 

 colour of the upper surface of the body, will separate the above species from any 

 others known to me." 



Correspondence concerning the Rice Hispa. 



The Collector of Chittagong writes : — 



" During 3 a tour in the district lately, I came across fields of aus dhan which had 

 been destroyed by insects. In fact, the greater part of the aus crops in many mouzahs 

 of this district had been thus destroyed. The insects attack the young dhan. It then 

 withers and dies away, presenting the appearance as if it had been eaten up by goats 

 or cows. 



" I found that the aus dhan was attacked by two kinds of insects, one is known 

 locally as the Burmah chaudali ; it is a small black beetle. 3 



1 In a letter dated 30th September 1886, which was forwarded by the Director of Land 

 Records and Agriculture, Bengal. 



2 Specimens were sent, which proved to be Hispa csnescens. 



