92 THE TALMS OF ASIA. 



the cattie, one of tlie boys commenced cutting 

 an opening midway in the tnmk of the tree. 

 On looking up, I perceived tliat the patient gave 

 unmistakeable signs of ill-hoaUh. The lono- 

 leaves were drooping at the end, and tinged with 

 a sickly yellow ; many of the nuts had fallen 

 off, and others had evidently half a mind to 

 follow the example. The flower which had just 

 hurst above hung down its sickly head, and was 

 weeping away the germs of what had else been 

 nuts. The hole was now complete ; it was 

 large enough for the smallest boy to force his 

 hand in, and it soon brought away a basket-full 

 of pith and powdered wood from the body of 

 the tree. There, amids the ruin, was the 

 enemy that had caused so much mischief and 

 labour. It was an unsightly worm, about four 

 inches in length, and as thick as one's small 

 finger, having' a dull white body and black 

 head. I then began to wonder what had next 

 to be done ; whether the tree would die after 

 all this liacking and maiming. "Would the 

 medicine man now be sent for ? — no. The 

 interior of the wounded tree as well as the 

 aperture was thoroughly freed from dirt, and 

 any decomposed fibre wdiich might have aided 

 in hatching eggs left by the worm— and finally 

 the root was covered up, and the opening and 



