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; DASYCHIRA SP. 65 
plete that not a vestize of a leaf is left. The numbers can only 
be imagined from the area worked over, which in the Reserved 
lorests alone exceeded 500 square miles. 
Dasychira was accompanied by Leucoma diaphana, Moore, 
during the August attack ; by Zrabala vishnu, Lep., during the 
last or May generation; and by Lymantria grandis, Wk. 
throughout all its generations, the latter being as numerous 
and active as the Dasychira, 
The first mention of these great defoliating attacks was 
made by Mr. W. R. Fisher in 1878, the next reference being 14 
years later in 1892. 
Protection and Remedies. 
As would be expected, these hordes of caterpillars are infested 
by numerous parasites, although little is at present known about 
them, Great difficulty was, however, experienced at the time 
in breeding out moths from the larve owing to the parasitical 
attacks to which they were subject. It is stated that in spite 
of the vigour and numbers of the larve, one should rather say 
by reason of it, these parasitic attacks increased, and whilst 
the larvee were swarming in thousands, large numbers were seen 
to be ina sickly condition. Red ants are said to have been 
attracted and to have helped to kill off the larva. 
Enquiries made seem to point to the fact that these attacks 
have become more serious since wholesale fire protection was 
introduced by the Department. This latter is said to have 
become only really effective over the sal areas in this part of 
Assam in 1891, and it is since then that the insects have 
. returned annually in larger or smaller hosts. It is impossible 
without further careful recorded observations to say what 
truth there may be inthis theory. It is, however, certain that 
serious attacks by insect pests did occur in the old days before 
fire protection and equally so that very little attention was 
at that time paid to defoliating or other insect attacks. 
Points in the life history requiring further observation. 
1. Where the eggs of each generation are laid. 
2. The exact length of time spent in the egg, larva, 
pupa, and moth stage of each generation. 
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