150 



several incisions in the trunk. Within a period of 15 days, 

 the larvae are hatched and fit for eating. 'i"he grub in its 

 infancy is quite white, but as it grows older or attains 

 the age of maturity it assumes a somewhat faint yellowish 

 colour. The head is horny and the body rather inflated 

 in the centre, it feeds on the heart of the tree during a 

 period of 20 days when it proceeds to prepare its habitation for 

 its third stage viz., that of chrysalis. This consists of the fibres of 

 the tree which the grub diligently weaves together forming 

 a light egg-shaped cocoon in which it undergoes its metamor- 

 phosis. But as tlie beetle which is to make its exit is not 

 possessed of strong mandibles to cut away an opening one of the 

 ends is more thinly webbed than the other, a fact no doubt antici- 

 pated in the larva stage, thereby showing as in the case of 

 inniimerable species, that the larva is possessed of sufficient 

 instinctto provide forits welfare when it becomes a perfect insect, 

 though so totally dissimilar both in its form and mode of living. 

 Stedman relates that the Indians of Surinam called it the 

 " Toecoema," and made butter from these worms which he tasted 

 and found excellent. It is noteworthy that these large beetles attack 

 the cane by making an entrance from the roots. Ifc appears 

 that the injury done is far less in proportion to that done by the 

 cane borer Xyleborus, but I may be allowed to remark that 

 perhaps the extent of the injury has not been calculated, or 

 may be at times attributed to some other cause. It is therefore well 

 to provide ag-ainst them, for every stool attacked really meaps 

 a loss to the planter, though apparently little. 



Next in order comes another species SphenopJiorus saccharri, 

 Fig 4. which is in my opinion one of the most 

 injurious pests of the sugar cane. It is per- 

 haps ^ the size of the former, and peculiarly 

 shaped, differing in markings and colour, 

 the first being completely black and this 

 species being brown with pale yellow mark- 

 ings on the thorax and elytra. This beetle, 

 strange to say, is also found on the palm 

 tree, which seems to indicate that the insects 

 which find a means of subsistence on one of 

 these two plants is singularly attracted to 

 the other. My friend Mr. IJrich has also 

 found the small borer in the palm, which 

 confirms me in my opinion The Splieno- 

 phorus makes its entrance near the footstalks 

 of the leaves, works its way to the centre ot 

 the plant, deposits its eggrf, the eggs hatch and the larvae work 



