No. 2. ] Notes. 89 



It is well known that all cerambycid beetles prefer to lay their eggs 

 in trees which are in an unhealthy condition, and also that trees killed 

 by the artificial girdling of their stems are peculiarly subject to attack, 

 the most probable explanation beiag that the copious flow of sap in a 

 healthy tree is prejudicial to the life of the boring grub. We see, there- 

 fore, that the girder beetle only reproduces designedly the conditions 

 which, when they occur accidentally, are peculiarly favourable to the 

 development of its larvae. 



As the eggs are deposited beyond the groove, the most effectual pre- 

 ventive measure is obviously to collect and burn all the withered por- 

 tions, so as to destroy the grubs they contain. This should be done 

 with as little delay as possible, so that the grubs may not become fully 

 developed and escape, in the form of beetles, before the burning takes 

 place. In the case of the American species it has been found that the 

 groove generally weakens the branch to such an extent as to cause it to 

 break off and fall to the ground with the first wind ; hence the system- 

 atic burning of all wind-fallen branches is sufficient to check the evil. 

 In view of this, it would seem desirable to ascertain whether the groove 

 made by the Indian species has the same effect, as this feature would 

 considerably facilitate the prevention of similar damage in future years. 



III.— NEO-CERAMBYX HOLOSERICEUS. 



[Plate Y,fig. 3 ; a, imago ? nat. size ; b, imago $ head and thorax, nat. size."] 



This insect has already been noticed (see No. 1 of these Notes, p. 60) 

 as injuring both sal wood (Skorea roousta) and saj wood {Terminalia 

 tomentosa). In the case of a block of sal wood received from the Di- 

 rector of the Forest School, Dehra Dun, the larvge appear to have lived, 

 in the first instance, upon the sap wood, and afterwards bored into the 

 very heart of the block, which is riddled with burrows in spite of its 

 great hardness. 



This is no doubt the insect which Mr. R. Thompson describes under 

 the name of Ceramhyx vatic a in his report on Insects destructive to Woods 

 and Forests (1867). 



The following is an extract from his report : — 



" The sal, or Vatica robusta, is attacked by beetles, Cerambyx vatica .... 

 In its healthy and vigorous state the stem of the sal is apparently never attacked by 

 any description of insect, but no sooner has the flow of healthy sap ceased than a host 

 of yoirng larvse are hatched. . . . This Cerambyx never attacks the timber when 

 the bark has been removed, and it is only after the tree has been killed and the bark 

 allowed to remain that it is resorted to by the beetles for the purpose of breeding. 

 The experiences and observations of seven years I can offer as satisfactory evidence for 

 the truth of these assertions. 



"One is sometimes, however, struck on seeing an apparently healthy tree bearing 

 the appearance of harbouring these insects from the excremented powdery sawdust- 

 looking particles, which is the sure indication of their presence within the timber. On 



