PYRAUSTA MACHGRALIS. 309 


which the most severe attacks are experienced vary. In 
Bombay (Kanara) October and December are given as the worst 
months, in the Central Provinces and Berar partial defoliations 
may take place in July, with a complete one in September- 
October. In Madras, in the Nilambur Plantations, on the other 
hand, the first complete defoliation takes place in April, the 
second in October, with probably a more or less complete one in 
August. 
PROTECTION AND REMEDIES. 
In the Forest. 
In considering methods of protection against pests which 
act upon such a wholesale scale as the one under considera- 
tion, the question as to whether the remedies, advocated as 
practicable ones with the view of decreasing the numbers of 
the insect by minimizing its facilities of increasing in large 
numbers, are worth putting into force, is one which must be left 
to the consideration of the forester. In the present case I have 
no hesitation in advocating the formation of mixed teak forests 
in place of pure with a view to keeping down-the abnormal 
increase in the numbers of this insect. Asan example favouring 
this opinion, I would point to the Nilambur Teak Plantations, 
which annually suffer very seriously from the attacks of this 
pest and its companion Hyb/za. 1 was informed there, and my 
observations in August would seem to confirm the statement to 
some extent, that the young plantations from 1 to 15 years in age 
suffered the most severely. It may be that the trees being so 
much smaller, the attack has been the more noticeable. _ If this is 
the case, | would advise planting up the areas with a mixed 
forest instead of with pure young teak plants as at present, the 
less valuable crop to be cut out as soon as the forest has gone 
through about a third of the 92 years rotation fixed for it. I 
have no doubt that this would interfere with the great and 
unchecked increase at present taking place in the numbers of 
this insect in the plantations. If it is considered inadvisable to 
interfere with the present system, I would suggest that one of 
the annual coupes be planted up in this manner and a record 
kept of the attacks of the pest in it (see note on this subject 
under Potnts in the life history, etc.), 
