270 Coco-nuts The Consols of the East 



it would not be destroyed, as would be the 

 case with the trees just mentioned. On 

 the other hand, insects attacking the growing- 

 point would soon kill this part, after which the 

 remainder would speedily die, and, in fact, this 

 result is the one which almost always is encoun- 

 tered. Certain insects enter the crown and 

 destroy it ; shortly afterwards the leaf turns 

 yellow, the fruits, if any are present, drop off, 

 and the tree eventually dies. It is therefore 

 clear that any method which prevents attacks 

 of this kind will preserve the life of the tree. 



The following pests attack the trunk and 

 undeveloped leaves and flowers of the coco-nut 

 palm : 



The rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros, 

 L). Very common throughout the Philippines, 

 Ceylon, Java, India, West Indies, &c. All 

 the Oryctes genus have a predilection for the 

 coco-nut and smaller palms. Its presence is 

 indicated by the large, irregular holes in the 

 trunk of the trees or at the base of the largest 

 petioles of the leaves. The Oryctes does not 

 gnaw the old, hard wood; at least no case was 

 reported up to 1906. Mr. Banks gives full 

 particulars of the beetle, its life history, habits, 

 &c., extending to some thirteen pages (142 to 

 154) of closely printed matter in the Philippine 

 Journal, accompanied by some excellent 

 photo.graphs. The remedies suggested are 

 extraction by means of a long, hooked steel 

 wire thrust into the hole, then given a half 



