Vol. 2. ] 



Miscellaneous Notes, 



101 



Nofes as a common pest to young indigo (lit dig of era iinctoria) and other 

 crops in various parts of India. Little is known of its habits, and no 

 satisfactory means of dealing with it seems yet to have been recorded* 



In the Kew Bulletin for April 1892 is an interesting note on the 



XyUlorus perforans. subject of the little Scolytid beetle Xyleborus 



perforans Wollaston which has recently been 



reported as attacking growing sugar-canes in the West Indies. The 

 species was originally described by Wollaston from specimens found per- 

 forating the bungs of wine casks at Madeira. In South America it has 

 been recorded as boring into rum casks, also as frequenting cane refuse 

 and rotting vegetable matter, and as attracted by lights at night. In 

 India it has been. noticed as boring into beer casks. (*) The danger now 

 is that it may take to attacking growing sugar-cane in India to a serious 

 extent as it is said to have already done in the West Indies. With re- 

 gard to remedies the Editors of the Kew Bulletin write : — ■ 





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1 "WW' 



"There should be no ditticulty experienced by intelligent planters in the West In- 

 dies in dealing; with this cane-borer. The infested canes should be destroyed, either 

 by burning or passing through the rollers of tbe cane mills. Care should be devoted to 

 the selection of ' plant ' canes, to ensure that they are free from the grubs and eggs 

 of the beetle, and precautions should be taken to get rid of all the cane refuse in a decay- 

 ed state in the neighbourhood of the cultivated fields. In other respects the same steps 

 are necessary with this borer as have been found effective in the case of the moth borer. 

 This latter has been known to attack sugar-canes at intervals for nearly sixty years, ( 2 ) 

 but its influence has been rendered comparatively harmless by the systematic destruc- 

 tion of infested canes, and by examining and dressing the ' plant' canes before they 

 are put into the fields. These simple and effective methods are fortunately within the 

 reach of every one." 



(')It was at first supposed to belong to the genus Tomicus, and the commissariat Serjeants 

 are said to have appropriately dubbed it " Tippling Tommy." In his report on Insects de- 

 structive to foiests," Allahabad 1868, Mr.R. Thompson writes: " I believe this to be a species 

 of Tomicus, a minute cylindrical species I have observed boring into beer and water casks ; 

 as they bore clean through the wood, the liquor may be seen jetting out at various points, 

 and by the force of the discharge the little borers are thrown out with it." 



( 2 ) Vide the account of this insect given in Volume I, page 22, of these Notes. 



