successive leaves is unduly exposed before the rind is mature. In 

 cocoa-nut palms grown at Kew, this ring is pale, and its rind is 

 tender and easily penetrated at least a year and a half after the 

 protecting leaf-sheaths have been removed. It would harden more 

 quickly in a tropical climate, but, nevertheless, this surface of immature 

 stem is a spot that should be most carefully protected. 



In the Commissioners' report, the practice of trimming the leaves is 

 condemned, but a reason is not given., and cannot be inferred from the 

 statements there made about egg-laying. 



But in India this fact has been more generally recognised. Mr. 

 Ridley writes about the weevil, " it finds its way to the base of the leaf- 

 " stalk of the palm, and pushes the egg as deeply into the body of the 

 " tree as it can. Some persons affirm that the beetle lays its eggs in 

 " the base of the tree, and that the grubs t lien burrow upwards. I 



" have seen no case of this I have certainly seen burrows 



** made by some insect in the old stems of the coco palm, but I do not 

 " believe that they were the work of this animal, but probably of some 

 " Longicorn beetle " (30). 



All observers agree in condemning the practice of stripping off the 

 old fronds, which by their leaf-sheaths so thoroughly protect the 

 tenderest part of the stem. The simplest plan of dealing with them is 

 to bend them down without breaking them, or even to tie them up. It is 

 doubtful whether it is sufficient to cut off the fronds at some distance 

 from the stem. If the stalks are not dry the exudation of sap from the 

 cut ends probably attracts the beetles. 



ready to take advantage of any wounds 

 the bark * * 



of the tree in which to lay her eggs. 

 Such wounds may be made by other insects, for example in India by 

 the Ithinoceros or Elephant beetle (Oryctcs rhinnnro.s. Linn.), in the 

 burrows of which into the head of the palm the weevils take shelter; 

 they may also be caused I the leaves and fibrous 



sheaths, and thus afford another reason for giving up this practice. The 

 cracking of the rind is to a large extent due to the same act which 

 prematurely exposes it. 



From the egg the grub, at first minute, hatches and begins to bore 

 into the pith of the tree. An observer should be able to recognise the 

 grub, and distinguish it, even when small, from other laroe to be found 

 in the palm, those of longicorn beetles and of other weevils especially. 



decay, there is nothing to show that they did not belong to some other 

 : insect. 



The larva, or gru-ijru tcorm is, when fully grown, about two to 

 three inches long, and of a yellowish-white or brownish-yellow colour. 

 Its body is slightly bent and" is very stout in proportion to its length, so 

 that the skin when stripped off is nearly circular. 



The head is large and horny, and the mouth is at its lower and 

 anterior part; the jaws, which work, as in all insects, sideways, are 

 short, stout and rather blunt. Its colour is a deep pitchy brown and 



continued round to the upper side, where there is between most of 

 them an additional transverse fold. The body is stoutest at the seventh 

 or eighth segment and tapers sharply from the ninth to the tail. 



