RECREATIVE N I. HISTORY. 



31 



KK<'KK\T1VK NATURAL HISTORY, 



nil. OOCO.A NUT PALM (oontiniud). 



ON arriving at the margin of the sea, the cocoa-nut crab at onco 

 betake* himself to the stretches of shallow water between the 

 reefs and the rook pools, within the shelter of the coral wall*. 

 Here he become* a sort of marine bandit or pirate of the coast. 

 .-lUbearing molluak is safe from his attacks ; oron the 

 largest univalve sheila being ruthlessly doprired of their tenants 

 powerful iiii-l moroiloM clawu of the Bvryut latro, who, 

 II..MIM- tho don polled and empty sea on tie high in air, liko 

 a captured IIRIUI.T, marches about with it as though desirous 

 of leading favourably disposed oraba to follow his aggressive 

 example. 



;ig Buoh Menea aa these tho young brooda are reared, who 

 follow, to the bi-st of their ability, and in a Htnall way, in tin: 

 stepa of tlii-ir p-ir.-nt -, until, gaining strength and rmitid'-iiT, 

 they migrate to tho warrcn-liko burrows l>.-!i.-:it h t ; 



wliiTc tln-y iid-ipt :i nut diet and thrive rupid!;. 

 here it would bo thought that their lives would 1 

 go-round of joy, the graceful feathery palm fronds rippling 

 freshly overhead as the trade wind sweeps pleasantly and glee- 

 fully through thorn, rich brown nuts strewing tho warm sandy 

 soil, beneath which tho trailing and interlacing roots form snug 

 . T shelter and repose. But the rich and glittering modal 

 has its roverae. 



The Binjus latro is good to eat, and his cocoa-fibre nest, 

 carded together with so much thrift, is useful for caulking tho 

 seams of canoes, and twisting into cordage ; so crab-hunting ex- 

 peditions are set on foot by the islanders, who, armed with grub- 

 bing-sticks and paddles, dig into the mould and coral sand until 

 the victim is reached, who, in spite of his claws, is securely 

 bound with coir rope and carried off into hopeless captivity. So 

 great is the strength of some of the larger crabs, that a stout cord 

 is often broken by them, as though it were a mere pack-thread. 



The strangers to the tropics who wander beneath the shade 

 of the cocoa palms, and admire the beauty of their fern-like 

 frondages, will not fail to be puzzled and at a loss to account 

 "or tho saw-like, stunted, and contorted form of many of the 

 newly-formed leaves, whose edges appear to have been nibbled 

 by a whole colony of rats. These unsightly cuttings and per- 

 forations are the result of the depredations of the larvao of the 

 rhinoceros beetle the Oryctes rhinoceros of naturalists, the 

 gru-gru or tucuma of the natives, and tho subject of tho accom- 

 panying illustration (Fig. 1). 



The ova of tho beetle are deposited deep among the curlod-np 

 and compactly rolled layers of the immature fronds of the heart 

 of tho palm-crown, which may be roughly compared to a largo 

 coarse cabbage. Through the substance of this the gru-gru 

 travels and cats his way, feasting on the juices of the palm, and 

 causing dire destruction amongst the structures destined to be- 

 come the lungs of tho tree, until at length he assumes the pupa 

 stage, as shown at Fig. 2 ; and in due time issues forth to light, 

 air, and liberty, a fully developed and perfect beetle (Fig. 3), 

 who, seeking a suitable partner, hums and drones his buzzing 

 flight through the short tropic night, and deposits an ample 

 store of ova to ensure the representation of the family of the 

 Oryctes rhinoceros, who, burrowing and secretive, like the crab, 

 are, like him, subject to heavy reprisals. 



That most prying and investigating of persons, the black 

 fellow, is always on the look-out for indications of tho presence 

 of the gru-gru. Should the searcher be in the employ of a 

 cocoa-nut grower, he will be provided with such an instrument 

 as we have represented at Fig. 4. This is mode from a steel 

 wire, and is not unlike a straightened fish-hook with a small 

 ring turned on its end. With this weapon every suspicious 

 looking orifice is probed, many gru-grus being drawn forth on 

 the barbed point, whilst others are impaled and killed in their 

 burrows. Such as are brought to light are reserved for a dainty 

 feast, as they are considered prime delicacies by tho dusky 

 dwellers among the palms. 



There are three modes by which the gru-gru is partaken of, 

 the most simple of which is to seize on the hard black head with 

 the finger and thumb, dip tho worm in a little lime juice, con- 

 veniently held in a cocoa nut shell, and then, taking it between 

 the front teeth, extract the juices from tho tough skin, which is 

 cast aside like that of a ripe gooseberry. The second plan is to 

 fry it in coooa-nut oil, when it much resembles a very small 



sausage. Tho third method is to place a number of them 



Tersely in a split piece of the mid rib of a palm leaf, and rout 

 them over the fire until they are brown and crisp, when they aro 

 erred on a piece of fresh banana leaf. 



It would be difficult to and, amongst the legion of beautiful 

 objects constituting the vegetable kingdom, one more worthy of 

 admiration, study, and investigation, than the psJm under con- 

 sideration. Examine its graceful, tufted crown, and we shall 

 find f rondogo of marvellous beauty in every stage of growth and 

 development, the lower rows falling canopy -like to droop 

 beyond and around the tall and tapering stems ; above those 

 will be seen layer after layer, stretching forth in an elegant and 

 massive fringe ; above these, feather-like, stand the oblique 

 leaves ; whilst in the centre stands the main plume or true 

 crown of tho tree ; and it in within the sheltering embrace of 

 this that tho flower spathe shoots up. This is not unfre- 

 oloao on four feet in length, and six inches in circnm- 

 is surrounded in tho early stage of its growth with 

 a beautifully lino natural cloth of cocoa-fibre, almost lace-like 

 i'-licocy of mesh-work ; and aa tho blossoms fructify, tho 

 young nuts appear in an almost endless number of stages of 

 development. 



A strong healthy palm will, during a good season, throw up 

 on an average a perfect and entire apathe every four or five 

 weeks : some idea may therefore be formed of the immense 

 number of fruits in different stages ef growth which are to be 

 found on a single tree. 



Many members of the palm family are remarkable for the 

 immense number of blossoms which they produce. The spathe 

 of the date-palm has been, after careful investigation, computed 

 to bring forth over 12,000 male blossoms. The spathe of the 

 sago-palm has also been the subject for investigation, and each 

 has been found to yield about 8,000 fruits in a season. 



It is in consequence of the variety of stages in which cocoa- 

 nuts are found on the palm that man is enabled to furnish him- 

 self with both food and drink from its stores for the mere 

 trouble of gathering, whilst welcome shade is afforded by the 

 leaves above ; gifts fully appreciated by Thomson, whose 

 beautiful lines we cannot refrain from quoting 



" Sheltered amid the orchards of the sun, 

 Where high palmettos lift their graceful shade ; 

 Give me to drain the cocoa's milky bowl, 

 Ami from the palm to drain its fresh'nin? wine, 

 More bounteous far than all the frantic juice 

 Which Bacchns pours." 



The nut is by no means the only product of tho cocoa-palm, 

 the juice or sap being of considerable importance to the cocoa 

 grower ; but to obtain this the nut crop of particular trees must 

 be sacrificed, as the fructification of the flower spathe is pre- 

 vented by the operations of the sap collector, or toddy drawer, 

 as he is called. The spathes to be tapped for the obtainment 

 of the palm sap are, after being surrounded by a number of 

 growing crown fronds, securely tied, and bound as in a sheath, 

 which prevents the development of the blossoms. A convenient 

 spot at the root of the flower spatho is now chosen, and a clean 

 cut made in it with an instrument called a toddy knife. The 

 covering membrane immediately above the cut is now well 

 rapped and beaten in order to facilitate the flow of the sap, 

 which, as it drains away, is caught in an earthen pot, or 

 " chatty," suspended for the purpose. 



The toddy drawer is invariably possessed of ape-like agility, 

 and mounts the tall stems of the palms with incredible swift- 

 ness and ease. In some localities trains of shallow stepa are 

 cut in the bark of the trees, in order to afford a slight foot-hold. 

 In others the climbers unite the legs above the ankles by a band 

 or cord, lay this against the tree, and ascend by the hold it 

 affords on the rough scale-like covering of the trunk. Ropes 

 are not unfrequently suspended from tree to tree, and along 

 these the toddy man creeps like a huge black spider engaged in 

 spinning his web. Such pots as are found charged with sap are 

 lowered to the ground by the aid of a string, where they are re- 

 ceived by an assistant, who fastens an empty vessel to the 

 btring to be hauled up and placed in lien of the full one. From 

 one quart to six pints is considered a fair night's run of sap for 

 one tree, early morning being chosen for the collection of the 

 liquid treasures. 



The fluid thus procured is the palm wine of poets and ancient 

 writers. Immediately after collection, and before exposure to 



