﻿OF 
  THE 
  SOUTHERN 
  PROVINCES, 
  NIGERIA. 
  

  

  207 
  

  

  away, 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  of 
  the 
  living 
  material 
  behind 
  it 
  gradually 
  

   dies 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  the 
  protective 
  covering, 
  or 
  from 
  fungus 
  attack, 
  so 
  that 
  

   from 
  small 
  beginnings 
  serious 
  damage 
  may 
  be 
  produced. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  been 
  a 
  vexed 
  question 
  in 
  the 
  colony 
  as 
  to 
  whether 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  

   termite 
  will 
  attack 
  the 
  roots 
  of 
  living 
  cacao 
  and 
  rubber. 
  From 
  such 
  observations. 
  

   as 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  make 
  I 
  see 
  no 
  reason 
  to 
  suppose 
  that 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  case, 
  except 
  

   in 
  a 
  very 
  dry 
  season, 
  when 
  they 
  may 
  attack 
  living 
  tissues 
  for 
  the 
  sake 
  of 
  the 
  moisture- 
  

   in 
  them. 
  

  

  Dead 
  plants 
  on 
  native 
  farms 
  are 
  rarely 
  removed 
  until 
  they 
  become 
  infested 
  with. 
  

   termites, 
  and 
  frequently 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  dead 
  trees 
  no 
  definite 
  cause 
  other 
  than 
  this 
  

   can 
  be 
  seen, 
  but 
  I 
  was 
  informed 
  by 
  the 
  Mycologist 
  that 
  the 
  termites 
  almost 
  invariably 
  

   follow 
  close 
  behind 
  fungus 
  disease, 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  native 
  farmer 
  of 
  course 
  

   has 
  not 
  appreciated. 
  

  

  One 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  black 
  Ponerine 
  ants, 
  Paltothyreus 
  tarsatus, 
  F., 
  plays 
  a 
  useful 
  part 
  

   in 
  attacking 
  and 
  carrying 
  off 
  termites 
  on 
  every 
  possible 
  occasion. 
  

  

  The 
  termites 
  were 
  successfully 
  combated 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  the 
  Universal 
  Ant 
  

   Destroyer," 
  a 
  machine 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  which 
  arsenical 
  and 
  sulphurous 
  vapours, 
  with 
  a 
  

   mixture 
  of 
  carbon 
  monoxide 
  and 
  dioxide, 
  are 
  pumped 
  into 
  the 
  termitarium. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  3. 
  Paremydica 
  insperata, 
  Fst. 
  ; 
  

  

  a, 
  dorsal 
  outline 
  ; 
  

   b, 
  head 
  and 
  thorax 
  seen 
  from 
  below. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  4. 
  Balanogastris 
  Icolae, 
  Desbr. 
  

  

  Insects 
  attacking 
  Kola. 
  

  

  A 
  Delphacid, 
  Pundaluoya 
  simplicia, 
  Dist. 
  (see 
  p. 
  242), 
  was 
  found 
  quite 
  commonly 
  

   in 
  all 
  stages 
  of 
  development 
  at 
  the 
  tips 
  of 
  young 
  shoots. 
  They 
  were 
  treated 
  by 
  

   brushing 
  with 
  a 
  weak 
  kerosene 
  emulsion. 
  Young 
  nursery 
  plants 
  were, 
  like 
  cacao, 
  

   much 
  attacked 
  by 
  the 
  Adoretus 
  beetle, 
  which 
  produces 
  the 
  same 
  characteristic 
  damage 
  

   to 
  the 
  leaf, 
  and 
  by 
  various 
  grasshoppers, 
  the 
  chief 
  of 
  which 
  was 
  Zonocerus 
  variegatus, 
  Lu 
  

   A 
  considerable 
  variety 
  of 
  other 
  leaf-eaters 
  were 
  found, 
  but 
  none 
  was 
  responsible 
  for 
  

   any 
  great 
  damage. 
  The 
  usual 
  stomach 
  poisons 
  were 
  employed 
  against 
  these 
  pests. 
  

   Kola 
  nuts, 
  both 
  on 
  the 
  tree 
  and 
  in 
  store, 
  were 
  considerably 
  attacked 
  by 
  weevils, 
  

   Paremydica 
  insperata, 
  Fst., 
  and 
  Balanogastris 
  kolae, 
  Desbr., 
  which 
  in 
  turn 
  were- 
  

   parasitised 
  by 
  an 
  Ichneumonid. 
  

  

  