No. 2. ] Notes on insect pests from the Entomological Section. 47 



of the insects, I would say that from six to eight annas cf the seedlings will be 

 damaged in those places visited by me. 



" Coming now to the question of remedies, which is always a difficult one, and 

 doubly so when crops are so badly attacked as they have been this year, I may 

 say that I started with very little hope of doing much good in this direction, and 

 my apprehensions were shared by the Museum authorities. Unless and until the 

 whole life-history of the insect is known, no definite remedies can be suggested. 

 Specimens of insects and leaves have been brought by me and made over 

 to Major Alcock, Superintendent, Indian Museum. Some of these have been 

 put into spirits; others have been brought in a live state, and Major Alcock has 

 kindly offered to breed and study them as far as possible. In this way it is 

 hoped that it will be possible to find out the different stages of development of th e 

 insect. He will also see what substances are unpalatable or deadly to the 

 insect with a view to suggesting some practical remedy. 



" In addition to procuring different kinds of specimens, several remedies 

 were tested by me at Betagi and Kamarkali. At Betagi, sulphuring was tried 

 at the suggestion of Major Alcock. Two small plots of land were chosen 

 (which were marked out with sticks), one badly attacked by insects, and one yet 

 unattacked, and powdered sulphur was sprinkled over them. The daroga 

 was asked to report the effect in a week, 



" Smoking with and without sulphur was also tried. The smoke did drive 

 away the insects temporarily, but they returned. It appears, therefore, to me 

 that the smoking operation is not very practicable. Continuous smoking on 

 small selected plots would no doubt prove effectual, but the operations could 

 hardly be carried out on acres and acres of land. 



" Insecticides were not sprayed at Betagi, as it was raining continuously. 

 At Kamarkali, however, three plots were chosen, and the following insecticides 

 sprayed over them ;— 



1. Copper sulphate solution— one part of copper sulphate to 200 parts of 



water. 



2. Copper sulphate solution — one part of copper sulphate to 100 parts of 



water. 



3. Carbolic acid solution— one part of acid to 20 parts of water. 



" The last named insecticide had the best immediate effect. The insects 

 dropped off the leaves one by one as they came in contact with the solution, but 

 they were only stunned and did not die off. After a few minutes they appeared 

 to recover and to fly on to the leaves again. The daffadar has been asked to 

 report results in a week to the Sub-Inspector, Surupkati thana. The writer 

 constable has also been similarly instructed. In addition to the above, a fourth 

 plot was limewashed, but the operation did not appear to have much effect on the 

 insects. The plots were all marked out with sticks, and the numbering of them 

 was explained both to the cultivators and to the daffadar. 



" In addition to the work sketched above several enquiries were made by me 

 en route to Barisal and back, and while I was travelling about in my boat, but I 

 heard of no particular injury being done beyond the outposts and thanas visited 

 by me. The insects appear to me to be confined more or less to the west of the 

 district, and in some places outside the thanas visited by me, insects had not yet 

 appeared, but this was probably due to the fact that in these places very little aus 

 is grown, and consequently very little paddy had already been sown, the aman 

 being sown generally later than the aus paddy." 





