Perhaps the be-t w;iy, when practicable, el' dealing with felled palms 

 is to sink them underwater. Burial in sand has been recommended, 

 and will possibly suffice, but it will not prevent the development of 

 grubs already in the tree, and liie subsequent emergence of the weevils, 

 it', as is asserted, they are able to burrow. 



Burning is objectionable, because the parts which the grubs inhabit 

 are too soft to burn. Dr. Grabb found healthy larva' in a tree that had 

 been subjected to burning; and according to Summers, the grubs of the 

 Palmetto Weevil are more partial to the older and more injured plants, 

 particularly to those which have been burnt. 



A good method of deali is the following: split 



them open lengthways so as to expose I he soft parts, and extract all 

 grubs or beetles found ; visit the trees daily and collect the weevils 

 attracted to them, as the surface dries split them again, so as to expose 

 a fresh moist surface, and continue the capture of beetles and the 

 splitting, till the tree is too dry to prove attractive. When the tree has 

 been thus thoroughly hacked up and dried by degrees it will probably 

 be found to burn easily. As it will take some time tor the eggs laid by 

 the weevils which visit them to reach maturity, no fear need be felt 

 about their breeding fresh swarms, provided thai they are not allowed 

 to lie too long. Other insects will lay their eggs in the exposed tissues, 

 but their grubs maybe neglected, if a look-out is kept against the 

 development n - that are not at present regarded as 



important. Si, -i . weeks f ( r the weevil to mature, 



and the period is probably much longer, no eggs laid after the tree is 

 felled will produce beetles if destruction is completed within that time. 

 Of course half-grown grubs overlooked in the tree may mature sooner. 



Cohoon and othei pa !m> felled in the neighbourhood of cocals ought 

 to be similarly treated, and not allowed to lie and infect the 

 neighbourhood. 



4. Capture of the Weevils. 



This plan has also been generally recommended, and is in some ways 

 preferable to the last. It is attended with no destruction of trees, and 

 is applicable to plantations which have not yet become seriously infested, 

 whereas the felling of palms can only be resorted to when they are 

 already injured. 



There are three ways of taking the perfect insects : on the wing or 

 when crawling about ; when lurking in the crevices of the leaf-sheaths 

 and fibre ; when attracted to baits. 



The best way — that by which the greatest number can be caught with 

 the least labour — is the last. It has been mentioned in the preceding 

 section that the stumps and soft tissues -the -pi it cabbage — of felled palms 



which the weevils can be dropped. 



As the weevil, like many other kinds, seeks shelter bv day, the stumps 

 and other baits should be visited at different times particularly at 

 daybreak, to find out when the insect- frequent them most; and" the 



