No. L] Further Notes, 59 



species of which are carnivorous in their habits, many of them feeding on 

 aphids (plant lice), and being on this account most useful to agriculture, 

 though the group also contains some species that feed on leaves.^ It 

 would be desirable, therefore, to observe this insect carefully in order to 

 ascertain that it is really a pest, before taking measures to exterminate it. 



Specimens of a cockchafer (Melolonthini) , received from Dr. George 



Cockchafers ^i^g> ^^® ^^ ^^ found in the Museum collection. 



Dr. Anderson wrote of them^ that they have proved 

 most destructive to the public gardens in Darjeeling, and threatened to 

 extend their ravages. 



The following extract is from a report by Mr. Jeffrey, forwarded by 

 Dr. George King, from the Darjeeling Gardens : — 



" They appear to form a cell in the soil, and when taken from it do not appear to 

 thrive. J made up the figures yesterday of what numbers were destroyed, and I 

 found, from nearly a month's work, they amount to 2,695,000, so that I have rid the 

 world of a goodly number." 



Dr. Giinther, of the British Museum, to whom specimens of the 



insect were submitted, wrote ^ : — 



" The beetle is most likely LachnosternOr impressa (Burmister. Handb., IV, 2, 

 p. 314, Assam) : but the genus is a most difficult assemblage of very numerous and 

 closely allied species. Another species (X. pin/juis, Walker) is mentioned as destructive 

 to coffee trees by Haldane in his pamphlet * All about grub,' Colombo, 1881." 



Specimens of the larvae, either of this species or of an insect very 

 closely related to it, were received in July 1881 from Mr. L. R. Forbes, 

 of Chittagong, with the information that it attacks the roots of paddy, 

 hachoo, and Indian-corn, emerging from the ground in July and August. 

 Paddy, which is covered with water in July and August, is said to be 

 unaffected. 



Some slight damage has been done during the past year, to deal- 



. , , wood boxes lyinff in the godowns of the Museum, 



Stromatium harbatum. ,,, fiz-i initio 



by the larvae of the Cerambycid beetle * Stromatium 



harhatum of Fabricius; imagos emerged in March. The life history of 



this insect does not seem to have been yet observed in India. 



Specimens of the beetle Cicindela G-pttnctata, Fabricius, have been for- 

 wardedby the Collector of the 24-Pergunnahs, from 

 the Sub-divisional OflBcer of Diamond Harbour, 



' Vide Westwood's " Modern Classification of Insects," Vol. I, p. 397. 



2 Letter dated 22nd May 1883. 



s I7th November 1883. 



* See Gemminger and Harold's '* Catalogus Coleopterorum," p, 2810. 



