102 BOARMIA SELENARIA. 
amongst the leaves and flowers. Both, however, are to be found 
indiscriminately all over the tree. When they have stripped 
a tree, they drop on to the nearest unattacked one or on to the 
ground, letting themselves down by means of silken threads, 
and march off to fresh trees. The caterpillars become full-fed at 
the end of April, and they then dropdown tothe ground by 
means of their silken threads and pupate in the earth at the foot 
of the tree, no cocoon being constructed. 
A number of larve were taken by the writer into Dehra 
Dun, and the first seventeen of these transformed into the pupal 
state on May 5th, and remained in this stage until the 16th of 
the month.? 
The first twelve imagos appeared on the 16th May followed 
by eleven more on the 17th, and others within the next few 
days: the moths emerging in approximately the same order in 
which the larve transformed into pupe. An attempt made to 
obtain eggs was not successful, the moths kept for this purpose 
being attacked by ants and killed. This is as far as the life 
history has been taken at present. It is probable, however, 
since the insect makes its first appearance in the spring and 
attacks the spring growth, that B, selenaria is at least double 
brooded, a second generation of larve appearing when the 
summer flush of leaves comes on to the sal trees in August. 
Larve were reported to have appeared in various parts of the 
forest in this latter month, but no specimens were kept or de- 
finite results observed. The question as to the number of 
generations is however important. 
Localities from which reported. 
Hampson gives the following distribution of this pest :— 
Europe, Amur, Japan, China, North-West Himalayas, 
Nepal, Khasis, Congo, South Africa. 
The insect has therefore a very wide distribution and is 
consequently the more to be feared since its powers of adapt- 
ability to varied environments must. be considerable, as also its 
powers of rapid multiplication when conditions are favourable. 

1 Owing to my absence from head-quarters on tour the moths were 
kindly bred out for me by Forest Ranger Birbal, Curator, Imperial Forest 
School. ‘lhe dates in question are those noted by him. 
