No. 2.] Notes on insect pests from the Entomological Sections. 7$ 



the Indian Museum specimens of an insect said to be destructive to 

 Babul tree {Acacia arabica) in Jerruck Forest, Sind. 



The examples proved to be the immature form of a bug belonging 

 to the iamWy Pentatomid^, the material being insufficient for precise 

 identification. The following short note is furnished by the Deputy 

 Conservator of Forests, Jerruck, Sind : — 



" I am sending you by post a small insect which I removed from between the 

 bark and wood of a Babul {Acscta ayabica) tree yesterday morning. This insect 

 evidently does a great deal of damage to Babul, judging from its attack on the 

 particular tree. The bark was discoloured and it was commencing to fall off. 



" Ihe larvae of the insect weave a sort of web in the interstices of the bark, and 

 I presume they subsequently bore into it and gradually make it drop ofi." 



3 Stag-beetle.— -In March 1895 ^ specimen of a large beetle was 

 received in the Museum from Major G. H. Leathern, with the informa- 

 tion that it was taken at the western end of the Kashmir valley 

 where it is found in large numbers in dead maples, and the grub of 

 which is a favourite food of the brown bear. 



The specimen proved to be a female of a stag-beetle, probably 

 belonging to the genus Dorcas; it however appears to be new to the 

 Museum collection. 



It is interesting and suggestive to find the brown-bear thus 

 appearing as a. friend to foresters. 



INSECT INFESTING CROTON PLANTS. 

 Dactylopius longifilis, Comstock. 



Plate V, fig. 5 female enlarged. 



On the latter part of October 1894 ^ number of ornamental 

 crotons in the Museum Quadrangle were found to be badly infested 

 by a species of scale insect {Coccid). Several of the plants attacked 

 were showing signs of decay, while a few were already dead. 



The "scales" were collected and carefully examined, but they 

 proved to be new to the Indian Museum collection, and hitherto un- 

 known in India. Specimens were forwarded to Mr. W. M. Maskell, 

 who kindly identified the species as the same as Dactylopius longifilis 

 of Comstock. The following is the description of the insect which 

 he has furnished :— 



Dactylopius longifilis, Comstock, Rep. of Entomologist, United 

 State Department of Agriculture, 1881, p. 344. 



