404 CRYPHALUS INDICUS. 
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nede though, if the nodes are already occupied, it will go 
in anywhere else. On reaching the bast the insect eats out 
in the bark and sapwood a shallow chamber in which the eggs 
are deposited amongst a mass of chewed wood-dust. These 
eggs are laid in little masses apparently stuck together on one 
or two sides of the chamber. In the case of Indian cryphalids 
it appears to be usual for the male insect to help the female in 
preparing this chamber ; but I am not aware whether this is the 
case in this instance, as the attack was too far advanced when 
discovered. As soon as the eggs are laid the female appears to 
leave the chamber, going out by the hole at which she entered. 
The larve on hatching out feed upon the bast layer at the edges 
of the chamber, not boring definite tunnels away from it but just 
eating away the edges in an irregular manner. 
From observations of the habits of other species it is not 
unlikely that there will be at least one more generation of this 
insect in the year, the beetles from the May larve probably 
appearing in July and ovipositing in fresh twigs and bran- 
ches. This fact and the rest of the life-history of the beetle 
has, however, yet to be observed. 
Locality from which reported. 
This insect was found by the writer infesting living silver 
fir trees in the Jaunsar forests, North-West Himalayas, 
Elevation about 8,000 feet. 
Relations to the Forest. 
C. tndicus has only been found as yet in green silver fir 
branches. It is probable that it always infests such. In several 
instances the beetles have been found killed in their entrance 
tunnels by an outflow of resin from the living branch. If the 
beetles are at all numerous the branch is often killed; and this 
may be the case when only a few insects infest it, since the 
feeding of the larve by continually enlarging the original egg- 
chamber often completely rings the branch, eating the cambium 
away all round. The needles on infested branches turn bright 
yellow and die, and thus the presence of the pest can be easily 
recognised at a distance. A closer ¢xamination will show on 
