No. 5-] Miseell'tneo2iS Notes. 63 



Caterpillars identical with the species referred to in previous numbers 

 of these Notes as the " Sorghum borer " {Diairaea 

 Gur'^aon. ^" *^-) ^^^^ forwarded to the Museum in December 



1893 throug-h the Deputy Commissioner of the 

 Gux'g-aou District, Punjab, with the information that the insect had done 

 a g-ood deal of damage to Sorg-hum (jowar) during the autumn in certain 

 circles of the district; The following is taken from the note accompany- 

 ing the specimen : — 



" The species appears to be identical with that wbich forms the subject of note 

 No. 3, Series No. I of vol. I of the Indian Musetim Notes, or closely allied to that. I 

 regret that I have been unable so far to obtain any specimens of the extra-larval stage 

 of this pest, but will endeavour to secure the chrysalis or possibly the imago. 



_ "With regard to the life history of this insect, I would add, as regards local 

 observations, the following notes which I have personally verified, viz, : — 



{a) The grub normally if not invariably enters the top joint o£ the millet stalks 

 just above that leaf which constitutes a spatlie for the developing inflorescence. In 

 other words the plant is attacked when the flowering shoots are between bud and 

 blossoms and the head of grain is consequently more or less arrested. 



(h) The larva feeds upon the medullary portion of the stalk ; its proper food being 

 evidently the sugary sap which ascends within the stem of this saccharrid millet, just 

 before flowering. The tunnelled portion of the infested stalk contains a fluffy 

 substance which is probably composed of the rejected fibre. This and the interior 

 surface of the tunnel in almost every stalk examined were found to be strongly tinged 

 with red purple colouring matter which looks as if it might be derived from the 

 action of the larval juices upon matter taken up from the substance of the plant and 

 subsequently dejected. There is a normal tendency, however, in the upper joints 

 especially of the jowar stalks, to take on this tinge, and it is very possible that the 

 tinge which is conspicuous and characteristic of the infested stalks internally may be 

 due to the admission of air as the larva burrows, and the effect of this upon the acids 

 of the eroded vegetable tissues. Whatever may be the cause, the appearances are 

 characteristic and unmistakeable. 



(c) The pest attacks those local varieties of the bush millet which are most rich 

 in saccharine elements; particularly what is known as the " green " millet (roll jowari) 

 from the midrib of the leaves being of the same colour as the blade or slightly 

 glareous. 



"This pest has no specific local vernacular name. It is known by the generic appel- 

 lation of " Bhaonri '' and " Gindar " indifferently. The former is a misnomer based on 

 a theory of the farmers tbat the larvaj are deposited by flying insects of the cock- 

 chafers' type (Bhaonri). The latter is of course the general name for all sorts of 

 grubs and caterpillars." 



Writing from Earoda in July 1892, Mr. T. H. Middle ton refers to 

 the great damage done to cane in Gujarat in the 

 Gifarat*'^'^^ ^^^^^ "^ preceding season as in every dry year. He recom- 

 mends cutting off the affected stalks as close to 



