69 



found tree twigs which were hohow, each opening pkigged up 

 with twisted grass. A closer examination disclosed the fact that 

 each twig contained a good, fat, live borer. A letter was enclosed 

 in the packages and the same, after having been translated, told 

 the following story : 



"Greetings : This time I am sending you some medicine, good 

 for consumption. Open the twigs and you will find a worm 

 (Sabutori-mushi) in each twig. Take out one and wrap it in 

 sembi or ame and swallow it alive. The juice of the living worm 

 is good for the disease. However, if the worms are dead, you 

 can bake them until black and powder them up and drink it with 

 sake. Those I send will constitute a dose for one week. When 

 you take the worms please inform me if you digest the same. If 

 you should find any such worms in Hawaii, continue taking same 

 for some time," etc.. etc. 



The worms found in the twigs represent two distinct orders of 

 insect. Some were the grubs of a large stem-boring beetle be- 

 longing to the Cerambicidae ; the others the larvae of some stem- 

 boring moth. The package was seized and the contents are now 

 the property of the board museum, as alcoholic specimens. This 

 illustrates another channel through which some serious pest might 

 enter the Territory. Worm diet for the cure of the white plague 

 might be all right in Japan but we have not as yet heard of this 

 method being used here and we surely shall not allow a trial with 

 imported borers such as were found in the mail i)ackage. 



Hilo Inspection. 



Brother Matthias Newell at Hilo reports the arrival of 7 

 steamers, all of which l)rought vegetable matter consisting of 91 

 lots and 1962 packages. Three sacks of turnips had to be cleaned 

 of earth and 39 bags of potatoes were too scabby to land and as 

 no one wanted to pay for the return freight, they were dumped 

 at sea. 



Intcr-IsJand Inspection. 



During the month of T'elMiiary 52 steamers plying between the 

 islands were attended to and the following shipments were in- 

 spected and passed : 



Plants 78 packages 



Taro 960 bags 



Fruit . . 18 packages 



Vegetables 42 " 



Total passed 1098 packages 



The following packages were refused shipment on account of 



