187 Indian Museum Notes. [Vol. IV. 



forms seem stages of the larvae of that beetle, but I cannot think the very large 

 ones can be the same species. I shall be much obliged for your opinion and, if 

 possible, determination. I have found the very large one all over Assam imbedded 

 in hard mud-houses of which I send a sample. It is particularly common in hard 

 clay soils and does much damage to rice. These I at first mistook for queen white- 

 ant houses until I dug them out for myself and found them invariably occupied 

 by identically similar larvse to the large ones herewith supplied. They are no 

 doubt a species of Lachnosterna, but are they L. impressa ? 



" I shall be very glad of any suggestions, more especially whether the very large 

 larvae have been known to injure the tea in the event of their being pronounced 

 distinct from the smaller form." 



The specimens proved to belong to two different species of 

 insects, namely : — The large grubs are the larvae of a Melolonthine 

 beetle probably belonging to the genus Lepidiota, and the smaller 

 ones are apparently the immature forms of Lachnosterna im- 

 pressa. 



II. Coccids. — Four bottles containing specimens of scale insects 

 reported as infesting tea plants in the Darjeeling district, were 

 received in the Museum through the Reporter on Economic Products 

 to the Government of India. The following particulars regarding 

 the insects are taken from his forwarding letter, dated 28th May 

 1897: — 



" No. I seems somewhat like Aspidiotus flavescens and is said to be the most 

 dangerous of the series. It attacks the young twig of young tea, the scale- 

 insects inserting themselves below the bark and thus raising and distorting it, 

 in older twigs the life seems sucked out of the plant through this rupturing of the 

 bark and the withdrawal of the sap. The young insects are alive and seen 

 escaping." 



" No. 2 is said to be a twig with long white blotches." 



" No. 3, a twig with large wax insects." 



" No. 4, similar insect of smaller size and with orange-coloured central portion." 



The specimens proved to belong to four different kinds of 

 Coccids, namely : — No. i consisted of badly preserved specimens of 

 larvse apparently of Aspidiotus thex, Mask ; No. 2 consisted of 

 examples of an unknown Coccid not represented in the Museum 

 collection ; No. 3 consisted of a few larva-scales probably belongincr 

 to the species Ceropldstes ceriferus ; and No. 4 contained specimens 

 of a Coccid hitherto not reported as occurring in India. 



Specimens Nos. 2 and 4 were forwarded to Mr W. M. Maskell 

 for identification, and his report on them is given below : — 



" The two parcels of tea leaves with Coccids. One of these in- 

 sects is eviaently a Pulvinaria^ but only the white cylindrical cot- 



