No. 4] Misllaneous Notes. 211 



state : when dry earth was given, it immediately buried itself and transformation 

 into the chrysalis stage took place without delay. It only feeds at night-time, and 

 during the last four days of its caterpillar life it will consume a large leaf of the 

 Morus alba nightly. Life-history during August is — 14 days caterpillar stage with 

 four moultings ; 7 days in chrysalis stage ; 3 days moth stage." 



Mi-. Fernandez, of the Forest School, Dehra Dun, writes that teak 

 Defoliation of teak trees over square miles of forest in the Central 

 by caterpillars. Provinces are sometimes completely defoliated, 



during 1 the latter half of the rainy season, by caterpillars, which pass 

 their pupal stage in the ground, and when alarmed on the trees drop 

 themselves to the ground by silken threads. The insect is probably a 

 Noctues moth. Specimens should be furnished for determination. 



From the Director of the Forest School, Dehra Dun, have been received 

 specimens of a curculionid said to destroy the seed of 

 Strobilanthus pectinatus (kibu) in Darjiling. These 

 have been forwai'ded to Europe for comparison with type specimens. 



In the cabinets of the Indian Museum are some tachinid flies which 

 were received from Singhboom, where they were said 

 to be parasitic upon Tusser {Anlhereea mylitta) cater- 

 pillars. No further particulars appear to have been furnished regarding 

 the habits of the insect, but as it appeared desirable to have its identity 

 established, the specimens were submitted to Mods. J. M, F. Bigot, who 

 has determined them as belonging to the species Masicera grandis of 

 Walker. " 



From the Collector of Maldah were received (8th July 1889), through 

 the Director of Land Records and Agriculture 



Maldah Jute Pest. Bengal, some specimens of a caterpillar said to in- 

 jure jute plants. 



The caterpillars are Noctues larva? and have some resemblance to the 

 larva? of a moth belonging to the genus Aletia. They cannot, however, be 

 precisely determined without an examination of the moth into which they 

 develop. Specimens, therefore, of the moth, or live chrysalids from 

 which moths can be reared in the Indian Museum, should be obtained for 

 examination. 



From Babu N. K. Mukarji of Berhampur have been received — (1) 



n . _ . Dipterous larva? said to be destructive to gourd: (%\ 



Berhampur Pests. . r ' . . & ' v > 



Microlepidopterous iarvse, allied to the sugar-cane 



borer, Diatrcea saccharahs, Fabr., said to bore into the stems of brinjal ; 



