124 Indian Museum Notes. [Vol. V- 



season. There was I noticed both in March and April when I 

 visited Behar a splendid show of blossom, but in the latter month 

 hardly any fruit had set, The natives call this visitation " Muddson 

 Lihee, " the first word meaning honey, the second blight. The 

 natives say that it is caused by an east wind, an easterly wind in Behar 

 beiny always a moist one, and therefore probably favourable to the 

 development of the insect, while the dry west wind is unfavourable 

 for the insect but good for the mango. 



In spite of Mr. Gollan's non-success in the measures he took to 

 destroy the insect, I have but little doubt that a kerosine emulsion 

 applied at the right time would actively protect the mango crop 

 from the ravages of this insect. The parent insect doubtless lays her 

 eggs on the very young flower-spikes as soon as they appear. These 

 rapidly hatch out, and it is at the time of hatching and immediately 

 afterwards that the remedy must be applied. The flower-spikes 

 should at this period be carefully examined, and if " hoppers " are 

 apparent in large numbers, the emulsion should be sprayed on them. 

 This must be done at once and before the flowers themselves have 

 opened, or the pollen will be destroyed and no fruit will set. The 

 proportion of kerosine to beused must be the result of experiment; 

 it must be strong enough to kill the insects, but not too strong to 

 burn up and kill the flower-spikes. It would be difficult to apply the 

 emulsion to lofty trees, but on low trees a comparatively weak force- 

 pump would be sufficient to reach the highest branches. 



2. Ceroplastes jloridensis, Comstock. Family Coccidze. Sub- 

 order Homoptera. Order Hemiptera, 



Babu Srish Chandra Panja sent through Major D. Prain, I. M.S., 

 Superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden, Sibpur, near Calcutta, 

 in June 1900, some mango leaves attacked by a scale insect, the trees 

 growing in Rajagram in the Bankura District of Bengal, and being 

 described as "grafted mango." 



The insects were sent to Mr. E. Ernest Green, Government 

 Entomologist, Ceylon, who identified them as Ceroplastes fleriden- 

 sis, Comstock (Ann. Report, Department, Agriculture, U. S. A,, 

 1880, page 331). Mr. Green notes that "The species occurs 

 commonly in Ceylon on a large variety of plants, e.g., Tea, Avocado 

 Pear, Guava, Mango, Orange, and other Citraceae, Litzea, Loran- 

 thus, and many others." He adds that he has "never seen the 

 insect present in sufficient numbers to injure the plant." Mr. L. O. 

 Howard, who examined the insect, notes that it " seems to be 

 Green's Ceroplastes actiniformis. It was in very poor condition, 

 however, and the determination is not positive," 



