460 



in every way by making shelters for them, particularly among cotton 

 trees, which are preferred for nesting. On some coconut palms as many 

 as 50 per cent, of the capsules were found broken open either by a 

 bird, by hzards or by snakes. 



Artificial remedies against Promecotheca include the shaking down 

 and collecting of the adults, which is an easy matter owing to their 

 sluggishness ; this can be most successfully done in the early morning. 

 If the insects are on low trees a sheet laid on the ground is sufficient 

 to catch them, but on high palms large nets raised on bamboo poles 

 must be used. Torches have been used with good results, but smoke 

 fires only drive the insects further afield. The use of insecticides 

 does not seem very promising owing to the situation of the larva 

 within the leaf. Fumigation with hydrocyanic acid gas would give 

 excellent results in plantations of three - or four-year-old palms, but 

 cannot be used on older and taller ones. 



The geographical distribution of this beetle, the history of its 

 occurrence and the manner of its spread are discussed and illustrated 

 by a map. Outbreaks are generally locahsed, although the insect 

 occurs more or less numerously throughout the New Hebrides. When 

 the supply of food becomes exhausted in one spot, swarming takes 

 place to some fresh area, for the females do not care to oviposit upon 

 leaves that have already been severely attacked. This explains the 

 sudden disappearance of the insect from a formerly heavily-infested 

 spot and its sudden outbreak in a fresh direction. A table shows the 

 spread of Proinecotheca in various locahties and during various periods 

 in the archipelago. While a good deal of damage may be caused to 

 coconut palms if many of the leaves are attacked, P. opacicoUis has 

 only been known in a very few instances to cause the actual death 

 of the plant, and in those cases the palms were of the native variety 

 and old. In every case of severe attack however there is a considerable 

 diminution in vigour, the blossoming is poor and the crop scanty. 

 The exact extent of loss due to the pest has not been definitely ascer- 

 tained, but in both Vate and Epi it has been estimated at about 

 I of the total crop of copra. 



In view of the fact that outbreaks are locahsed, that the greatest 

 damage is done during the first invasion of the insect in a given locahty 

 and that the beetles move slowly from place to place, it is evident that 

 co-operation is necessary among planters in combating this pest. 

 One infested area can soon infect a whole region if prompt action 

 be not taken. Besides the remedial measures indicated above, the 

 vitality of the palms should be augmented in every way, by suitable 

 and active manures, by constant cultivation of the ground and by 

 the sowing of plants that will serve as green manure. 



Paillot (A.). Observations et Experiences sur les Champignons 

 parasites des Insectes. — Ann. Service des Epiphyties, Paris, iv 

 (1915), 1917, pp. 329-334. [Received 1st September 1919.] 



In March 1914 a fungous disease was found to be very prevalent 

 among Hylesinus on ash-trees and was identified as Beauveria glob iilif era . 

 The disease took a somewhat different form from that caused by the 

 same fungus on Haliica amphehphaga, probably owing to the differen 

 method of hibernation, the latter beetles congregating in great number 



