No. 3.] Original Communications. 85 



here, as it isjprobable that our Indian species will have a development 

 very similar to the American bug growing 1 in the hotter Southern 

 States. 



Egg. — The eggs are deposited f occasionally ' above ground in the 

 blades of grain, but far more often and normally under ground upon 

 the roots of the plants infested. 



Larva.— The eggs give rise to larvae which, by moulting, i.e., 

 shedding their skins, finally develop wings and become the mature 

 insect. In this stage they migrate from field to field for food often 

 in solid columns inches deep. 



Imago.— The following is the description given in Fabricius, 

 Entomologica Systematica: — 



A. atra scutello elytusque albis : puncto apicis nigro. 

 Parva, gibba atra. Antennas breves, triarticulatae. 

 Scutellum album puncto apicis nigro. 

 Elytra lsevia, alba puncto apicis atro. 

 Alar albae, immaculatse. 



Distribution.— 'The Indian species is common in most parts of 

 India. 



Reports of attacks in cane fields.— -In June, 1899, the Director 

 of Land Records and Agriculture, North- Western Provinces and 

 Oudh, sent to the India Office specimens of mature sugarcane with 

 a report that they were attacked by an insect locally named Kari, 

 which had done considerable mischief to the full grown canes in 

 Azamgarh. The insects sent were immature, but were undoubtedly 

 those of a species of Blissus thought to be probably Blissus gibbus, 

 a well-known Indian species. 



Remedies. — Since this insect feeds on the plant by means of 



suction through its rostrum or beak, the arsenical insecticides above 



described for application to mandibulate or biting insects, and which 



are taken internally by these when feeding on the foliage of the cane, 



cannot be made use of, for insects which feed by suction a wash is 



required which will kill by contact, and of insecticides of this nature 



there are none probably to equal those prepared from petroleum. 



Experience in America has shown that those made from kerosine are 



the best. The ease and practicability of emulsifying and diluting 



kerosine to any desired strength (it should never be used pure as 



it will injure the plant) has been fully demonstrated, and I propose 



to describe here the preparation of the wash known as the kerosine 



emulsion, which has been used on a very large scale in America to 



counteract the attacks of insects on fruit trees and crops. It consists 



of kerosine, soap and water. 



