122 Indian Economic Entomology. [Vol. I. 



variety. In 1884 several estates in Pussellawa were badly attacked. The pest was 

 noticed in Ramboda and Pandalu-oya early iu 1885, and has now spread into Dimbula 

 and Dikoya. It attracted attention in the Bandulla district about April of the 

 present year (1886). 



" This species of Scale Bug is not by any means confined to the coffee tree. I have 

 found it flourishing upon Cinchona succirubra, calisaya, and ledgeriana, though it 

 does not seem to injure any but the very young trees. I have frequently noticed it 

 upon orange and lime trees, upon guava, and a large number of wild plants. I have 

 occasionally seen it upon tea bushes, but not in sufficient quantities to affect the healthy 

 growth of the plant. 



"Lecanium coffece. — The original coffee bug occasionally attacks tea, and appears 

 to be more injurious to this plant than is the Green Bug. 



" Lecanium nigrum. — The Black Bug, though seldom found upon coffee, is some- 

 times present in large numbers upon the Croton-oil plant and the Ceara rubber, where 

 it produces the usual effects, viz. a heavy fall of leaf and black fungus." 



XIIL— ENTOMOLOGY IN THE INDIAN MUSEUM. 



The following is a short report on the work done in the Entomology 

 Section of the Indian Museum during the year ending 81st [ March 

 1889 :— 



Progress was made with the compilation of the Catalogue of the Moths 

 of India, which comprises the synonymy and geographical distribution of 

 all the Heterocera (moths) hitherto described from India, Burma, and 

 Ceylon. Parts III, IV, and V were published by order of the Trustees, 

 Part VI is now being printed off, and the Preface and General Index, 

 which will complete the work, are in progress. 1 



During the year a sustained effort was made to get the Entomological 

 Collections of the Museum examined and determined by European ento- 

 mologists who have devoted special attention to particular sections of the 

 vast subject of Indian entomology, this being the only practical way 

 of getting the obscure species reliably determined, most of them as yet 

 being not even sufficiently described. Collections were despatched to a 

 number of gentlemen who generously came forward and placed their 

 services gratuitously at the disposal of the museum, for the determina- 

 tion of the insects belonging to the special zoological groups in which 

 they take interest. In this way the reliable determination or a large 

 number of obscure specimens has been obtained, but very much remains 

 to be done in the determination of species, before the museum will possess 

 anything like an adequate set of named insects for comparison. 



The investigation of the Economic Entomology of India, undertaken 

 by the Indian Museum in conjunction with the Agricultural Departments, 

 was, during the year, put upon a systematic footing, and a miscellaneous 

 report on Indian insect pests was put into type and has since appeared as 

 the first number of Indian Museum Notes. A very keen interest is being 



1 This work lias since been completed. 



