23 



The long double rows of egg-holes of the large Cicada hlcosta Walk, 

 were quite couimonl}' found on the underside of the stalks of the lower 

 leaves, but the damage is insignificant. 



THE PALM AND PALMETTO WEEVILS. 



By F. H. Chittenden. 



As in a measure supplementarj^ to the report of an investigation 

 conducted by Mr. August Busck, of this office, on diseased cocoanut 

 palms in Cuba, due to the fungus Pestalozzia palmarum Cooke, but 

 supposed to have been caused b}^ the palm weevil {RJiynchop?i07nit> 

 palmariiin Linn.), the following account of that species and the pal- 

 metto weevil {R. craeniatns Fab.) has been prepared. It is somewhat 

 singular that at the time Mr. Busck was prosecuting this investiga- 

 tion the palm weevil was not once encountered, but the palmetto 

 weevil was doing injury to the date palm in Florida. The latter, 

 although well known, has not attained any prominence as a pest, but 

 wc have an extensive account of the palm weevil by Mr. W. F. H. 

 Blandford, published originally in the Kew Bulletin of February- 

 March, 1893 (pp. 27-60). 



THE PALM AVEEVIL. 



{Rhynchophorits palmarum Linn. ) 



With the establishment of the growing of cocoanut palms in British 

 Honduras, the ravages of the palm weevil seriously discouraged that 

 industry. In the year 1888 the government of that countr3\ becom- 

 ing cognizant that the losses apparently resulting from the palm weevil 

 menaced the prosperity of the colony, appointed an investigating com- 

 mission, the result being the publication of the article above cited. 

 Until the injurious occurrence of this species in British Honduras, the 

 palm weevil was better known to the public as the parent of the 

 "gru-gru" worm, which was eaten by the natives of Central and 

 South America, and mentioned by most writers of early times as 

 •'being considered a delicacy." On this head Mile. Merian, in her 

 '"Dissertation sur la Generation et les Transformations des Insectes 

 de Surinam," etc., published in 1726 (p. 48), wrote as follows: 



The Dutch name it Pahnyt-Worm, that is, the Worm of the Pahn, because it feeds 

 on that tree. In the trunk of the pahn tree, swarm certain worms feeding on the 

 pith. At first no larger than cheese-maggots, they grow like the one here repre- 

 sented. Certain folk grill them, and consider them a most savory morsel. From 

 this worm comes a black beetle, such as I have depicted, which the Indians and 

 the Dutch both call the Mother of the palm worm. 



The next article of importance bearing upon this species is entitled 

 ""Insects infesting the Sugar-Cane." It was written by Rev. Lansdown 

 Guilding, and published in 1828 (Trans. Soc. Encour. Arts, LXVl). 



