THE GRU-GRU. 225 



This gigantic Weevil is terribly destructive both to palin-trees 

 and sugar-canes. The larva of this species is popularly called 

 " Gru-gru," and is a huge, whitish, fat, soft-bodied grub, curved, 

 and without legs. It burrows into the palm-trees, where it is 

 eagerly sought, not only by negroes, but by the white colonists, 

 to be used as an article of food. 



To us the grub of a Beetle appears to be the very last thing 

 that anyone would wish to eat, but those who have tried the 

 Gru-gru mostly go on with it, and ever afterwards look upon it 

 as one of the greatest delicacies which that fertile country can 

 produce. Many persons are so fond of it that they are in the 

 habit of eating the grubs alive, just as we eat oysters, holding 

 them by the hard, horny heads, and so eating the grub as we 

 would eat a radish. As they are of very great size, a few of 

 them will make a sufficient meal for a man, and many persons 

 have been saved from starvation because they knew where to 

 find the Gru-gru grub. 



AVL en full fed, this larva makes for itself a cocoon by tearing 

 off strips from the stem of the palm-tree and weaving them 

 together. 



When this insect attacks the sugar-cane, it always prefers the 

 plants which have been just planted, being probably attracted by 

 the sweet juice which exudes from the cut ends of the cane. 



Another species is equally damaging to the tamarind, and 

 another, called the Sugar Weevil (Calandra Sacchari), a smaller 

 but quite as destructive an insect, works great damage among 

 the sugar-canes. It is rather remarkable that the insect does 

 but little damage to the plant itself, though it utterly ruins the 

 sugar which it secretes. The greater part of the juice is eaten 

 by the grub, and that which is left is so injured that it can never 

 be made into sugar, persisting in remaining as molasses in spite 

 of all exertions on the part of the manufacturer. Mr. King 

 states that "no -'temper' of any kind, whether lime or any 

 more powerful alkali, can produce sugar from it. It might 

 be possible to desiccate it by continued boiling, but the result 

 would be charcoal, and not sugar." 



And the worst of this damaged juice is, that if it should be 

 mixed with sound juice the whole is tainted, and all that por- 

 tion of the crop is wasted. Mr. King thinks that much of the 



Q 



