68 THE COCO-NUT 



killing of these insects has been done with especial 

 care in the British colonies of the Straits Settlements 

 and Federated Malay States, and Ceylon ; but in a 

 smaller way it has been practised in many other 

 countries where these beetles occur. 



Experience as to the effectiveness of this warfare 

 has not been uniform. In Ceylon it has not been found 

 that, as beetles are caught year after year, there is any 

 decrease in the number of black beetles which can still 

 be caught. On the other hand, there has been a very 

 great decrease in the number which can be caught in 

 the Malay States and Straits Settlements. The reason 

 for this is without doubt to be found in the warfare of 

 an altogether different kind which has been waged in 

 the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States at 

 the same time at which the beetles were being collected 

 and killed individually. 



This latter warfare is against the larvae of the beetle 

 and consists of the destruction of their breeding-places. 

 The first systematic piece of work in coco-nut sanitation 

 on the part of any Government was the Coco-nut Trees 

 Preservation Ordinance of the Government of the Straits 

 Settlements, passed in 1890. This was amended in 

 1895, and has since that time been in force. 



The terms of this ordinance as amended are as 

 follows : 



STKAITS SETTLEMENTS 



Ordinance No. IV. of 1890. 



An Ordinance for the Protection of Coco-nut Trees 

 from the Ravages of certain Beetles. 



6th March 1890. 



L. S. Cecil C. Smith, 



Governor and Commander-in-Chief. 



Whereas it is expedient to make provisions for the pro- 

 tection of coco-nut trees from the ravages of certain beetles : 



It is hereby enacted by the Governor of the Straits 

 Settlements with the advice and consent of the Legislative 

 Council thereof as follows : 



