4 
by  Sir  Hugh  LoW  in  1882.  In  fact  almost  every  plant  of  Para 
rubber  in  the  Malay  Peninsula  was  derived  from  the  Botanic 
Gardens,  Singapore,  and  these  directly  or  indirectly  through  Ceylon 
from  the  Royal  Gardens,  Kevv. 
In  1877,  Murton  who  had  planted  the  young  trees  received 
from  Kew  as  above  mentioned  in  the  Upper  Garden  to  a more 
suitable  locality  in  the  new  Economic  Gardens  and  the  trees  on  the 
right  side  of  the  plate  are  believed  to  be  these  plants.  In  his  re- 
port for  1881,  Mr.  Cantley  writes  the  tallest  Hevea  (in  the  gar- 
dens) is  now  25  feet  tall  and  14  inches  round  the  base.  These  trees 
commenced  to  fruit  in  1882. 
Seeds  were  later  received  in  large  quantities  from  Ceylon,  and 
when  ihe  Kwala  Kangsa  trees  began  to  fruit  Sir  HUGH  Low  sent 
seeds  from  them,  back  to  the  Singapore  Gardens  for  distribution. 
Although  the  plant  giew  so  well,  planters  could  not  be  induced 
to  take  it  up,  and  owing  apparently  to  a report  that  it  produced  no 
rubber,  the  few  people  interested  in  rubber  turned  their  attention 
to  Castilloa  and  Ceara  rubber.  But  practically  with  the  exception 
of  Mr.  T.  H.  Hills  estate  there  were  no  plantations  of  Para  rubber 
till  Tan  Chay  Guan  commenced  to  plant  in  Malacca. 
In  1897,  however  the  high  price  of  rubber  and  the  low  price  of 
Coffee  stimulated  the  interest  of  planters,  and  a rush  was  made  for 
the  seeds.  At  the  same  time  planters  in  all  parts  of  the  tropics 
sent  for  seeds  and  plants  and  attempted  to  grow  the  plant  every- 
where with  varying  success.  In  many  countries  it  seems  to  have 
proved  a failure,  the  climate  being  unsuitable. 
In  the  Malay  Peninsula  it  appears  to  have  been  more  successful 
than  in  almost  any  other  country  both  in  rapidity  of  growth  and 
production  of  rubber,  and  the  only  thing  to  be  regretted  is  that 
planters  did  not  take  up  the  cultivation  ten  years  ago. 
INSECT  NOTES. 
Glyphodes  Actorionalis. 
I received  on  December  41  h,  1902,  from  Selangor  a box  contain- 
ing a number  of  leaves  of  Ficus  elastica,  spun  together  with  a net- 
work of  silk  and  containing  a large  number  of  chrysalises  of  a 
small  moth.  The  chrysalises  were  about  i inch  long  and  bright 
brown,  quite  loose  among  the  webs  and  leaves.  The  moths  hatched 
out  about  a fortnight  later,  and  proved  to  be  apparently  Glyphodes 
actorionalis  one  of  the  Pyralidae.  The  moth  is  about  an  inch 
across,  the  antennae  very  long  and  slender  half  an  inch  across,  legs 
long  ochreous,  upper  wings  narrow  light  brown  with  a brown 
fringe,  a small  triangle  near  the  base  and  a rhomboid  patch  in  the 
centre  pearly  white  and  iridescent.  Lower  wings  pearly  white 
iridescent  with  a light  brown  band  along  the  edge  and  a white 
fringe,  the  body  silvery  white. 
This  moth  is  very  common,  and  the  caterpillars  probably  feed 
on  other  species  of  P'icus,  as  allied  species  do.  It  is  common  in 
Singapore  constantly  coming  to  light,  should  it  prove  very  trouble- 
