No- L ] M/ncf/l/iveofta Noifis. 21 



ami tlie circumstance which is said to indicate the approach of plentiful rain is a 

 pliigLie of a species of hairy caterpillar whicli literally covers thecountry, destroying the 

 herbage and swarming on the roads to such an extent that thousands of them must be 

 trodden under foot by passing wayfarers. Contact with the hairs produces irritation 

 and even sores. The cater])il]ar is said to turn into a species of yellow butterfly or 

 moth about August. Burmese name Pagaiingde or Rugaungde." 



The specimens have been forwarded to Mr. V. Moore^ for favour of 

 determination, and further information is awaited from IJurma. 



Mr. R. II. Morris of Mysore sent (21st April 1801) a series of moths 



-, CO • which he lias reared from the Mysore cnfee 



Mjsore coffee rmger. . . . . "^ ■'' 



nw.;7(?r caterpillars noticed in Volume II, pao^e 



7, of these Notes. Five of these moths belonged to the species Agrotis 



sfgef.nm Scliiff., while the sixth was a Heliof/iis arm.igera Hiibn., which is 



not thought likely to have been connected with the " ringing- " of the 



3'oung colfee plants. Comparing these specimens witii the ones noticed on 



page 7 of Volume II of tliese Notes, we find that out of eight moths reared 



from caterpillars thought to be the destructive coffee ringers of Mysore, 



six belong to the species Agrotis segdum, one to the species Ueiiothis arwi- 



ger<i, and one to a species which has been identified througli the kind 



help of Mr. F. Moore as Ortbosia bicornis Hampson. It may be eon- 



eluded that Agrotis segetnm is the insect chiefly concerned in the injury 



to the coffee [Coffea arahica) plants. 



With regard to tiie practicability of poisoning such caterpillars by 



strewing the ground with succulent cabbage leaves sprinkled with London 



purple, as has been recommended by the United States Entomologist 



[vide page 33 of Volume I of these Notes), some London purple was 



sent to Mr. Morris for experiment, but he writes that, though it certainly 



poisons the caterpillars, the cost and difficulty of laying down the 



poisoned leaves over so large an aiea as a coffee estate, are prohibitive. 



In March 1892 specimens were forwarded by the Director of the 



Forest School, Dehra, of an Aphid which was 

 Bamboo Aphul. pi , ■ i i f> 



round attacking the leaves of Bamhasa 



arnnrUnacea in the school compound. The insect covered the leaves with 



a black sticky gum which was in such quantities that it fell off in drops. 



The insect is unnamed in the Museum collection, and specimens have 



therefore been forwarded to Europe for comparative examination. 



In July 1890 an obscure Geotnetrid caterpillar, insufficient for precise 



^ The insect lias since been identified by Mr. Moore as a new species of Spalvria^ which 

 be is describing as Spalyria minor. 



