370 PLOCEDERUS OBESUS. 

weak halting manner, It is probable that this habit of the beetle 
of maturing and resting for some months is the cause of the state- 
ment so often made that the insect appears om the wing tn 
November and March in this part of India, It is improbable that. 
the insect would appear when the sharp winter of the North-West 
has set in, although it can be easily obtained at this season, The 
writer has had numbers brought to him during the winter months. 
Fuel choppers continually come across them, and it is probable 
that the beetles obtained in this way have given rise to the 
statement. From the above it will be evident that this insect 
takes a year to pass through all the various stages of its life- 
history from egg to mature beetle. 
Relations to the Forest. 
The damage done by this insect is more especially to the 
timber of the tree it attacks, Trees cut down in cold weather 
fellings will have eggs laid in their bark in March-April, and 
unless the wood is removed before the ensuing rains the larve 
hatching from the eggs will riddle it and render it useless for 
any save firewood purposes; the weight of fuel obtained from. 
such trees is very considerably lessened owing to the large 
winding borings of the larve and the enlarged pupal cavity they 
eat out. The damage thus caused to the timber is of more 
importance than the damage done to the standing trees in the 
forest, though it must be remembered that the insect wili oviposit 
in sickly standing trees, and thus injure them and even cause 
their death. 
Since this beetle will oviposit in Sal trees, although it 
prefers Jhingham (Odina Wodier) in the Dun Forests, it is 
desirable that its life-history and capabilities of doing damage 
should be well understood. 
Protection and Remedies. 
Observation has shown that P. obesus is undoubtedly 
exceedingly plentiful in the country and attacks a variety of 
trees; it is therefore advisable, wherever possible, to see that 
