75 
water which had been taken from a worm-infested locality showe 
that the worms had undergone little change, if any, in fifteen hours 
It would appear that three factors are associated with the 
presence of borers. They are a sluggish river current, a certain 
mixture of salt and fresh water, and the presence of the mangrove 
formation. The two latter factors are intimately connected, but the 
absence of the first is sufficient to prevent borers appearing in any 
quantity, probably owing to the fact that the river current carries 
away the young fry. 
this stage the borers do not exceed teninchesin length. No general 
direction is followed, but in no case was any indication seen of 
connections between neighbouring burrows. 
Mr. E, A. Smith of the British Museum has kindly identified the 
borer. : 
Suggested Methods of Protection.—In view of the large pecuniary 
loss sustained by some timber firms this year a method of protecting 
the logs would be welcomed. . 
Mr. R. S. Pearson, Forest Economist to the Indian Government, 
states in the Indian Forest Records iii., 2, that there is no anti- 
septic treatment yet discovered that can be recommended as an 
effective prevention of these borers 
It can only be recommended, therefore, that when it is impossible 
to take rafts out and anchor them at sea, they should not*be tied to 
mangrove, and if possible they should be hauled out of the water. 
Whilst investigating the rafts of logs the mangrove trees were 
also examined. All the larger roots and stems were found bored 
below high-water level. and in some cases the borers had travelled 
at least six feet inside the stem. On cutting across a burrow above 
a borer a white watery fluid exuded freely. These borers measured 
from one to nearly three feet in length and hada bore with a 
diameter of 4 to inch. Mr. E. A. Smith has identified them as an 
undescribed species of Teredo, specimens of which were previously 
collected by Sir Alfred Moloney in Lagos about 1891. 
