REPORT ON THE PADI-BORER. T 
In the first brood of the season, the food of the caterpillar is 
principally supplied by the growing shoot, and the interior of 
the midrib of the leaves and leafstalks. This first brood 
reaches maturity before any appreciable amount of hollow 
stalk is formed by the padi, and hence this change, in what 
may be considered its normal habits, is necessary, to adapt 
itself to its environment. The pupz of this first brood are near- 
ly always found in the leafstalks. In subsequent broods they are 
generally found in the inside of the stalk, sometimes above 
the hole of entrance and sometimes beneath it. The pupz 
are usually more or less enclosed in a fine white web, and the 
head is, in all cases that have come under my observation, 
uppermost. 
The larve are able to progress with nearly equal facility 
either backwards or forwards, but they are not active at any 
time, and when disturbed generally remain quiescent. 
In a single stool of young padi, I found no less than 20 
caterpillars. “his plant was found growing by itself in Tai- 
ping and not near any padi fields, probably the nearest being 
more than two or three miles away. This seems to show, 
either that the moths take long flights, or that some wild plant 
serves as food for the caterpillar as well as padi. 
When kept in confinement, the moths sit quite still all day, 
and by preference on the earth at the bottom of the breeding 
cage. It seems, therefore, probable that they sit usually on 
the dead leaves of the padi during the day time, and as their 
colour so nearly assimilates to it, this would be a position of 
great security. I have hunted over a field of padi for them, 
but without success, though the straw was full of full grown 
caterpillars and also of minute ones, and there must have 
been many of the moths about. In the day time it is difficult 
to get them to fly even when touched, but at night they are 
fairly active and seem to be able to fly well. 
The female begins laying her eggs on the second night 
after coming out of the chrysalis, and they hatch out on the 
fifth day, the female dying in about seven days. The eggs seem 
to be all laid on the second and third night. The males in a 
state of captivity, only live from three to four days. 
