78 AUSTRALIAX SUGAR-CANE BEETLES AND THEIR ALLIES. 



AA^e have had considerable evidence 1hat the handicoots live iipoi> 

 cane grnbs and beetles when these are available, but there is still some 

 cjuestion as to whether they do not do as much harm as good, because in 

 their search for grubs they destroy many cane-roots. There appears to 

 be no direct evidence in regard to the many species of pouched mice, 

 but since they are all insectivorous and will eat both grubs and beetles, 

 when in confinement (19) they are probably very useful, and the farmer 

 should learn to distinguish the difference between these and the ordinary 

 rats and mice which are usually destructive to his interests. Flying- 

 foxes are usually considered an unmitigated curse because of their 

 destruction of fruit, but there is some evidence (50) that they feed 

 rather extensively upon cane-beetles in season. 



Lizards are of such monster size in Queensland that it is not usual 

 to think of them as friends and allies of the farmer. The short, thick- 

 bodied, blue-tongued lizard {Tiliqua scincoidcs) , however, is well known 

 among growers as a grub destroyer (48). The iguanas (Vaninus sp.), 

 on the other hand, are usually looked upon with disfavour because of 

 their raids upon eggs and young chickens, ]n\i since they are of arboreal 

 habits and large size — ranging to 7 feet — they freciuently devour the 

 large cane-beetles. 



Frofjs, too, are of great variety and size, and, since they occur in 

 most of the settled areas and feed at night upon any available insect, 

 they are among our most useful allies. 



Birds, under natural conditions, are prol)ably the most useful among 

 the natural enemies of the grub-pest. They receive far too little 

 encouragement among gro^^'ers. A great variety of birds feeds upon our 

 destructive cane-pest, both in the grub and beetle stage, so it will be 

 interesting to briefly enumerate a few of the most important of them. 



I consider the ibises, without question, at the head of the list; twO' 

 species visit the Cairns district, the straw-neeked (Car pliihis spinicollis) 

 and the white (Ihis molucca). It is unfortunate that we do not have these 

 birds witl) us throughout the year, for they make a clean sweep of all the 

 grubs and beetles they can find. 



Crows {Corviis australis), too, are also worthy of much consideration, 

 for they are inveterate destroyers of the grubs as well as many other- 

 forms of insect life. They do not occur in the Cairns dinstrict, but 

 farther south they are constantl}" after the ploughs, destroying pests, 

 wherever obtainable. 



Hawks are usually our allies and friends, in spite of the bad repute 

 that they are in. There is no question, however, that the large brown 

 scavenger hawk {Hicracidca herigora) is of particular value to the cane 

 farmer ; though these hawks will eat flesh when available they do not 

 kill animals, as far as I have been able to learn, and they feed largely 

 upon pestivorous insects. They should never l3e killed ; in fact, the same 

 is true of most of our hawks and owls, for as a class they are undoubtedly 

 friends of agriculture. 



The laughing jackass (Dacclo Icacliii) is also a bird that is fond of 

 both grubs fuid lieetles. Dissectiou has demonstrated that they feed 

 principally upon these pests whenever they are available. 



Of the smaller birds that follow the ploughs we have the pewee 

 lark (Grallina pivaia) and the Indian mynah (Acridotlieres tristis). We 

 also find these birds in the feeding-trees very early in the morning 

 devouring cane-beetles, in company with the yellow-breasted fig-bird.s. 



