No. 1.] Miscellaneous Notes. 25 



but it also attacks Brassica rapse Dianthus caryophyllus, Amygda- 

 lus persicse^ Hyacynthus oyientalis, Ranunculus bulbosus, Canna 

 indica, the tulip crocus, fuschia, oleander, tobacco, Mesembrianthe- 

 munty and numerous other plants." 



From the Secretary to the Municipal Committee, Amritsar, were 

 received in April 1894 specimens of insects 

 Mango blossom Horn- g^j^ ^.^ |^g causing immense damage to mango 

 optera. 00 



blossoms. 



The specimens consisted of three species of Homopterous insects 

 of the genus Idiocerus^ viz., Idiocerus niveosparsus, Leth., /, atkin,' 

 sonii, Leth., and /. clypealisy Leth,, which have previously been re- 

 ported as doing considerable damage to mango in Saharanpur and 

 which are referred to in Volume I, pages 4-5 and 187-188 of 

 these Notes. 



London Purple, which had been previously tried against these in- 

 sects with great success, was also recommended in this case. A 

 packet of London Purple was accordingly despatched to the Secre- 

 tary to the Municipal Committee, Amritsar, which, however, reached 

 too late for any use, as the insects had all disappeared. The follow- 

 ing note has been furnished by him :— 



" The bug is known here as ' Thala,' and it appears in seasons of excessive 

 heat, or if rain falls, when the trees are in full blossom. The pest has been 

 known to appear every fourth or fifth year, but no remedy has yet been tried by 

 the natives. Gardens in which the mango crop sold last year for Rs. 600 have this 

 year been sold for one-third and one-fourth the price. Should the bug appear 

 next year, I will try London Purple and report results." 



Specimens of the rice sapper, Leptocorisa acuta, Thunb., which 

 Leptocorisa ocutuy l^as previously been referred to in the pages 

 Thunb.J of these Notes, were forwarded in October 

 1894, through the Director, Land Records and Agriculture, Bengal, 

 from the Officiating Commissioner of the Orissa Division, as injuri- 

 ous to crops in the District of Angul, where it is locally called 

 *' Mahna:' 



In publishing the description and figure of the Ceylon Coccid 



Orthesia nacrea, Buckton, in No. 3 of the 



^Ofthezia nacrea, Buck- p^^^g^jj^g ^^:^^^^ of th^se ^^f^^^ Mr. E. E. 



Green, who forwarded the specimens to the 

 Indian Museum, points out some errors in the description of the in- 

 sect furnished by Mr, G. B. Buckton, which errors he wishes to be 

 corrected. 



