BOARMIA SELENARIA. 103 

{n the Dehra Dun forests the present reported range is 
from the Saharanpur-Chakrata Road on the west to the east- 
ward boundary of the forest on the Ganges River, only the 
northern slopes of the Siwaliks being noted as affected. With- 
in this area the intensity of the attack in 1go1 varied, being 
much more severe in some parts than in others. 
No reports from the officers in charge of adjacent sal areas 
have been received with reference to this pest. 
Relations to the Forest. 
When the caterpillars appear in large numbers in the forest 
the damage they are capable of doing is very considerable. 
When full grown the larva is of considerable size and during 
its whole life it is apparently a voracious feeder, attacking and 
entirely stripping the trees of all green growth, as also of the 
flowers. In the middle of April numerous large sal trees were to 
be seen entirely defoliated having the appearance of deciduous 
trees in winter, whilst others were rapidly becoming leafless 
under the attacks of the swarming larve. The annual increment 
put on by these trees is much less in years of serious defoliation, 
since growth ceases until the summer flush of leaves makes _ its 
appearance in August. If, however, the damage done to the 
mature trees is great, that suffered by the young growthis much 
greater. Young saplings, entirely stripped of all green growth 
in the spring, were found in September standing black and 
gaunt in the forest, still alive, but having been quite unable to 
recover sufficiently from the spring attack to be able to put out 
any summer crop of leaves. Thus heavy defoliation by this pest 
in the spring causes a cessation of all growth in young saplings 
during the year. If the pest appeared in similar numbers 
in successive years, it is evident that the young growth in 
“the forest would rapidly deteriorate and much of it would 
succumb. 
What rendered the attack even more serious inthe Dun 
forests in 1901 was the fact that B. selenarza appeared in several 
of the areas already attacked by the scale insect, Monophlebus 
- Stebbingit, and both insects were often to be seen in large 
numbers on the same trees, both young and old, the looper 
