446 
INSECTS. 
[Chap. XII. 
Australasia seem to be more similar than those of Ceylon and 
of Hindustan. The long intercourse between those two regions 
may have been the means of conveying some species from one 
to the other. Among the Pyralites, Hymenia recurvalis in- 
habits also the West Indies, South America, West Africa, 
Hindustan, China, Australasia, Australia, and New Zealand; 
and its food-plant is probably some vegetable which is culti- 
vated in all those regions ; so also Desmia afflict&lis is found in 
Sierra Leone, Abyssinia, Ceylon, and China. 
Order Dipteea. 
" About fifty species were observed by Dr. Templeton, but 
most of those here recorded were collected by Mr. Thwaites at 
Kandy, and have a great likeness to North European species. 
The mosquitoes are very annoying on account of their num- 
bers, as might be expected from the moisture and heat of the 
climate. Culex laniger is the coast species, and the other 
kinds here mentioned are from Kandy. Humboldt observed 
that in some parts of South America each stream had its 
peculiar mosquitoes, and it yet remains to be seen whether 
the gnats in Ceylon are also thus restricted in their habitation. 
The genera Sciara, Cecidomyia, and Simulium, which abound 
so exceedingly in temperate countries, have each one represen- 
tative species in the collection made by Mr. Thwaites. Thus 
an almost new field remains for the Entomologist in the study 
of the yet unknown Singhalese Diptera, which must be very 
numerous. 
Order Hemiptera. 
" The species of this order in the list are too few and too 
similar to those of Hindustan to need any particular mention. 
Lecanium coffece may be noticed, on account of its infesting 
the coffee plant, as its name indicates, and the ravages of other 
species of the genus will be remembered, from the fact that 
one of them, in other regions, has put a stop to the cultivation 
of the orange as an article of commerce. 
