14 Indian Insect Pests. [Vol. L 



Mr. Owen states that " applications of wood-ash, lime, or anything of 



_, ,. a like nature are said to be beneficial/' It should 



Remedies. -^.r r-^ t i 



be remembered that Mr. Owen did not know what 



insect constituted the pest, nor its life-history. I magine his remedy is 

 meant to be applied to the earth surrounding the plants, which might 

 keep away slugs and worms, but would be absolutely useless in the case of 

 this insect. The only remedy I can suggest is to catch and kill all the 

 butterfles that can be seen. Small boys, provided with butterfly nets, 

 should be able to satisfactorily account for the greater number of butter- 

 flies frequenting a given area, to prevent the females laying their eggs 

 being the object of the slaughter. The butterflies have a slow, flapping 

 flight, and are very conspicuous, so their capture is very easy. Once 

 the eggs are laid no further remedy is possible, 1 think. To prevent the 

 increase of the butterfly it would be advantageous to hunt for, and collect, 

 all the capsules with holes in them, and to destroy them by fire or burial. 

 This search for affected fruits would, however, be very tedious and expen- 

 sive, so I fear impracticable. To kill one gravid female butterfly, with 

 perhaps two or three hundred eggs in her body, each egg representing 

 the loss of a capsule, would be a much more effectual remedy. 



