322 A FURTHER NOTE ON MONOPHLEBUS STEBBINGI, 

must be looked upon as one of the most serious pests the sal 
areas of the Siwaliks have to meet. The attack of 1902 was 
colossal in its magnitude, and both young and old growth must 
have suffered severely, both wood increment and natural 
regeneration being interfered with. 
The attack of the year has brought several features in the 
life history of the pest into startling prominence :— 
(s) That a dry winter greatly aids the scale by permitting 
afar greater number of young larve to reach 
maturity than is apparently the case in normal | 
seasons. 
(2) That the monophlebus has a powerful enemy in the 
predaceous coccinellid beetle, an enemy against 
whose attacks it is entirely unable to defend 
itself, except in one particular way, 2.¢., by laying 
an enormous number of eggs so as to allow fora 
heavy mortality amongst its offspring. 
(3) That even in the event of a heavy attack by the 
coccinellid beetle, the scale is enabled to grow to 
half-size before any appreciable difference in its 
numbers becomes apparent from the work of the 
beetle. 
Protection. 
The discovery of the coccinellid beetle has given one of the 
means by which this scale can be most effectively combated, 
and it has now become imperative that the former’s life history 
should be fully worked out, and further observations on this 
head are required (see p. 330). 
Points in the life history requiring further observation. 
1. When the large number of eggs laid in the cottony 
sac by the mature @ at the latter part of April 
and first part of May develop? 
2. What stage of the insect arises from these eggs? Is 
there a second stage in the life history passed 
through in the rains, and is this a sub-cortical one? 
