﻿112 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  FOURTH 
  ENTOMOLOGICAL 
  IMEETING 
  

  

  moisture 
  of 
  tlie 
  previous 
  year 
  better 
  liad 
  a 
  fair 
  crop. 
  When 
  no 
  moisture 
  

   was 
  retained 
  germination 
  was 
  poor 
  or 
  extremely 
  patchy. 
  The 
  sett 
  

   canes 
  in 
  such 
  parts 
  lying 
  near 
  the 
  surface 
  within 
  about 
  two 
  inches 
  or 
  

   less 
  below 
  the 
  surface 
  were 
  affected 
  by 
  the 
  drought 
  and 
  most 
  were 
  

   rotting. 
  The 
  beetles 
  did 
  not 
  interfere 
  with 
  germination. 
  They 
  were 
  

   common 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  Farm, 
  in 
  fact 
  more 
  common 
  in 
  parts 
  which 
  had 
  

   a 
  good 
  to 
  fair 
  crop 
  than 
  in 
  parts 
  which 
  had 
  a 
  peer 
  crop. 
  When 
  the 
  

   crop 
  grew 
  normally 
  and 
  tillered 
  well 
  the 
  attack 
  was 
  hidden 
  or 
  rather 
  

   the 
  crop 
  outgrew 
  the 
  attack. 
  

  

  The 
  beetles 
  were 
  not 
  new 
  to 
  the 
  locality. 
  They 
  breed 
  among 
  the 
  

   grass 
  roots. 
  In 
  previous 
  years 
  normal 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  crop 
  consequent 
  

   on 
  the 
  normal 
  climatic 
  conditions 
  hid 
  the 
  attack 
  of 
  the 
  beetles 
  which 
  

   did 
  not 
  therefore 
  attract 
  attention. 
  In 
  1919 
  the 
  local 
  authorities 
  

   estimated 
  the 
  damage 
  at 
  over 
  60 
  per 
  cent, 
  and 
  ascribed 
  the 
  whole 
  

   of 
  this 
  loss 
  to 
  the 
  beetles. 
  They 
  came 
  to 
  this 
  conclusion 
  on 
  superficial 
  

   observation 
  of 
  the 
  conditions. 
  Mr. 
  S. 
  E. 
  Gupta, 
  Entomological 
  Assis- 
  

   tant, 
  Assam, 
  and 
  the 
  writer 
  very 
  carefully 
  examined 
  all 
  the 
  plots 
  and 
  

   found 
  that 
  the 
  beetles 
  were 
  certainly 
  responsible 
  for 
  about 
  20 
  per 
  cent, 
  

   of 
  the 
  total 
  damage. 
  The 
  failure 
  of 
  the 
  setts 
  to 
  germinate 
  owing 
  to 
  

   adverse 
  climatic 
  conditions 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  ascribed 
  to 
  the 
  beetles. 
  A 
  

   careful 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  conditions 
  led 
  to 
  the 
  conclusion 
  that 
  in 
  years 
  

   with 
  normal 
  climatic 
  conditions 
  the 
  beetles 
  would 
  not 
  prove 
  injurious 
  

   to 
  the 
  sugarcane 
  of 
  the 
  Farm. 
  This 
  was 
  corroborated 
  in 
  1920 
  when 
  

   although 
  Mr. 
  Gupta 
  found 
  the 
  beetles 
  to 
  occur 
  in 
  practically 
  equally 
  

   large 
  numbers 
  as 
  in 
  1919 
  much 
  damage 
  was 
  not 
  caused. 
  

  

  Apart 
  from 
  their 
  capacity 
  to 
  cause 
  damage 
  directly, 
  the 
  beetles 
  

   and 
  beetle 
  grubs 
  and 
  in 
  fact 
  all 
  the 
  external 
  agents 
  of 
  damage 
  are 
  respon- 
  

   sible 
  for 
  probably 
  much 
  greater 
  damage 
  indirectly 
  by 
  affording 
  places 
  

   for 
  the 
  entry 
  of 
  fungal 
  diseases 
  through 
  bites 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  stems. 
  

   " 
  Chewing 
  " 
  described 
  at 
  page 
  361 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  paper 
  (Proc. 
  Third 
  Entl. 
  

   Meeting) 
  may 
  be 
  referred 
  to 
  in 
  this 
  connection. 
  

  

  Some 
  beetle 
  grubs 
  and 
  beetles 
  have 
  already 
  proved 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  serious 
  

   pests 
  and 
  others 
  may 
  certainly 
  be 
  looked 
  upon 
  as 
  potential 
  pests 
  of 
  this 
  

   nature. 
  All 
  possible 
  precautions 
  should 
  be 
  taken 
  against 
  importing 
  

   them 
  into 
  new 
  localities. 
  They 
  have 
  the 
  chance 
  of 
  insidiously 
  coming 
  

   in 
  the 
  earth 
  taken 
  with 
  plants 
  and 
  cuttings. 
  To 
  point 
  to 
  notable 
  ins- 
  

   * 
  tances 
  of 
  this 
  nature 
  one 
  has 
  only 
  to 
  make 
  mention 
  of 
  the 
  entry 
  of 
  

   Oryctes 
  rhinoceros 
  into 
  Samoa, 
  believed 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  carried 
  in 
  the 
  

   earth 
  taken 
  with 
  rubber 
  plants 
  from 
  Ceylon, 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  importa- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  Phytalus 
  smithi 
  into 
  Mauritius 
  with 
  sugarcane 
  cuttings 
  from 
  

   Barbados. 
  

  

  