TOMICUS SP. 229 

of writing, whereas the Blue pine has been found infested in 
blocks.? 
The Zomizcus is not usually to be found in young poles and 
I have not noticed it attacking young growth. In older poles it is 
often present, but it apparently prefers the older trees whose bark 
is thicker; when attacking poles it confines its operations more 
especially to the lower three-quarters of the bole, leaving the 
upper quarter and the branches to its companions, Po/ygraphus 
major, MS. and Pityogenes contferz, MS.* 
The injuries to the tree are confined to the bast layer, and 
when it is badly infested, this part of the tree is completely 
riddled and destroyed, resulting in death. Attacked trees can be 
recognised by the shot-hole borings in the bark, each having a 
little saw-dust at their entrance which has been) ejected by the 
beetles when making the burrow. If trees with large numbers 
of these holes on their outer bark be cut into the cambium layer 
will be found to be swarming with either larve, pupa, or beetles. 
The European beetle Tomicus typographus is considered to 
be one of the most destructive of all forest insects in Europe, 
and when conditions are favourable to it, I am of opinion that its 
Indian confrére is not one whit the less dangerous. Sickly 
trees, ringed trees, and newly felled ones are at once attacked by 
it, and its powers of rapid multiplication, which have been shown 
to be very great owing tothe number of eggs laid by the ? 
beetle andthe number of generations it is capable of passing 
through during the year, enable it to spread rapidly over large 
areas. When particularly abundant ina locality, I have found it 
attacking green healthy trees. It does not attack barked trees, 
and it has not been found in stools or stumps. 
Its favorite resorts at present in the areas visited would 
appear to be the forests where the system of ringing the Blue 
pine to give more light to and so encourage the young Deodar 
has been carried out on alargescale. In suchareasI have found 
ee ee 
I Since this note went to press investigation of dead and dying trees has 
shown that the Tomicus is probably nearly, if not quite, as injurious to 
the spruce. 
2 See pages 234 and 242 of these notes. 
