56 Indian Insect Pests. [Vol. I. 



rails, Fabr. [vide p 22) have beeu forwarded by the Director of Land 

 Records and Agriculture, Bengal, from the Agricultural Officer of Ranchi, 

 who writes 1 : — 



"Kegardiug the little grub found inside the fleshy stem of brinjal shoots, on 

 examining the shoots, a minute aperture will be found which is nothing else than the 

 puncture which the female insect must have made with the ovipositor while laying her 

 egg. On breaking the shoot just at this puncture, a small whitish grub will be 

 found. ... This pest has done a very considerable amount of damage to the brinjal 

 crop in all the gardens that I have had the opportunity of examining in this town." 



In one place he notices that all the plants had baen killed by it; 

 in another ten per cent, of the plants had already died off, and most of 

 those that remained were still suffering from it, early sown plants being 

 more severely attacked than the late sown ones. Tobacco-water was tried 

 in one garden without effect. 



Caterpillars have been received through the Collector of Balasore, 

 forwarded by the Director of Land Records and 

 Agriculture, Bengal, from Dehurda, 2 where they 

 are reported te injure the fibre plant called Chan. The insect enters the 

 dhooly, or fruit of the plant, and eats up the seed, and sometimes 

 also the leaves and the upper part of the plant itself. No remedy is 

 known, but heavy showers of rain are said to check the evil. 



These are larvae of a Noctuid moth; specimens of the moth should be 

 sent for precise identification. 



Caterpillars of a Noctuid moth have been received through the 

 Leda poka caterpil- Director of Land Records and Agriculture, Bengal, 

 lars. from the Deputy Collector in charge, Tipperah, 



who writes 3 that they are known as Leda poka and are very injurious 

 to crops. Specimens of the moth should be sent to enable the insect to 

 be precisely determined. 



A single immature caterpillar of a boring moth, injurious to tea 

 bushes, has been received from the late Mr. Otto 

 Moller, of Darjeeling, who wrote (8fch March 



1888) :— 



" It can hardly be termed a pesfc, as it occurs rather sparingly. The stems, 

 however, when attacked, are doomed to destruction. As far as 1 can make out, it is 

 found right from the Terai up to the highest elevation to which tea is grown here in 

 the hills." 



It is quite impossible to determine this insect precisely from the 

 specimen received, but it is probably one of the Hepialidee, a group of 



1 In a report dated 5th September, addressed to the Director, Land Records and 

 Agriculture, Bengal. 



2 Obtained by Baboo Koylash Chandra Rai. 

 * In a letter dated 29th September 1888. 



