No. 1.] Miscellaneous Notes, tg 



identified them as belonging to a new species of Mahasena, which 

 he is describing as Mahasena graminivora. 



The figure which is given in plate III, fig. I, a, b and c, represents 

 the male moth, aborted female moth, and larva. 



The description of this new species has not yet been received 

 from Mr. Hampson. 



In July i8g4 the Director of the Imperial Forest School, Dehra 

 Caterpillar destructive Dun, forwarded specimens to the Indian 

 to Himalayan spruce fir. Museum, of the larva, chrysalis and perfect 

 insect of a moth {Mtcrolepidoptera) which has been doing consider- 

 able damage to the Himalayan spruce fir [Abies smithiana) in the 

 Jaunsar forest. The moth appeared to be new to the Indian 

 Museum collection, so has been sent to Europe for precise identifica- 

 tion, 



A single specimen of an Ichneumonid fly was also forwarded 

 which may probably be parasitic on the caterpillars of this moth. 



The following note has been fuirnished by Mr. C. G. Rogers, 

 Deputy Conservator of Forests :— 



" While in camp at Kanain in April last (1884), I noticed that the last year's 

 shoots of small spruce saplings had been injured by something, as they had not 

 developed at all. On examining several of these injured shoots I found the 

 empty chrysalides of an insect which proved that the injury had been done by an 

 insect and not by a fungus. The needles of the shoots were united by a silky 

 tissue, and the points of such needles as were still on the branch were tied together 

 by the silky threads above referred to. At Bodyar, in the beginning of June 

 1894, I noticed that some of the young shoots (this year's), which were just 

 developing, were not normally developed, but that after developing in length for 

 about I or 1 inch, the whole of the needles were formed into a pointed ovoid 

 body, the free ends of the leaves being bound together so as to form a case. On 

 examination it was found that the needles were bound together with silk threads, 

 and that in the protective covering thus formed around the developing bud was 

 the larva of an insect. 



" The protective covering made of the needles, which have already developed, 

 is on an average 2 inches long, J inch broad at the centre, and has very tapering 

 ends. 



•' One specimen of this protective covering is sent. The further development 

 of the bud is prevented by the covering of needles, which surround it on all sides, 

 and the larva feeds on the tender partially etiolated leaves, which are developed 

 inside the covering of full-grown needles. 



" A number of shoots containing larvse were examined on the 7th June. The 

 average length of 13 larvse was 0*31 inches and the average width o'o5 inches. 



"The colour of the larva is pale yellowish-white, the skin is transparent and 

 the green colour of the young needles, which It has been eating, is very distinctly 

 visible down the centre of the body of the insect. The larva is slightly hairy and 

 very irritable when touched. It can give out a thin line of silk from its mouth 



II 



