266 



the abdomen, and by bending itself so that the tip of the spine rests 

 on the edge of the cavity and then relaxing its muscles so that it slips 

 into the hollowed space, the beetle can spring into the air, making a 

 click as it does so. Hence the popular name of click-beetle. 



These beetles were very active when caught, and attempted to 

 spring away in this manner. 



The larvae, popularly known as wire-worms, are slender hard 

 wiry caterpillars of a dark brown colour and usually here at least live 

 in decaying wood, but many species live under ground on roots of 

 grasses and other herbaceous plants often doing much harm. 



The mandor of the estate told me that he knows the beetle and it 

 was harmless to the coconuts. It appeared to have simply invaded 

 the burrows of the Oryctes in search of the sweet juice of the palm- 

 cabbage. Indeed its jaws and paws do not look powerful enough for it 

 to cut its way into the palm-shoot in the way that the rhinoceras beetle 

 does. Two living specimens and the body of a dead one were found 

 in the palms, so that it appears to live for some time at least in the 

 bud. The specimens have been sent to the British Museum for 

 identification. 



H. N. R. 



KABONG SUGAR. 



A sugar locally known as Gula Kabong is obtained from the 

 saecharine juice of the sugar palm, Arcjiga saecJiarifcra, an extremely 

 useful, interesting and graceful palm common all over the peninsula. 

 The sugar is sold in the local markets, generally in small round cakes, 

 and is not unlike the sugar commonly know as Gula Malacca which 

 is obtained from the coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, but, is sweeter and 

 darker in colour. The market price varies but may be roughly stated 

 at from 10 cents to 15 cents per ilb. The following Malayan method 

 of collecting the juice and manufacturing the sugar may be of interest 

 to our readers. 



The juice is obtained by cutting the male inflorescence which 

 branches out from the crown of the palm. It is said that the juice 

 from the female inflorescence is not suitable for sugar making and is 

 never used. Palms of from 8 to 10 years old are said to yield the 

 best sugar. Plants of this age are selected by the Malays but it is quite 

 possible that younger palms will give quite as good results. 



The male spike or inflorescence which grows in a pendulous manner 

 is first cleaned round and then tied up in a perpendicular fashion for a 

 period of two or three days. Each morning the spike is gently tapped 

 with a piece of wood, a process which is said to increase the flow of 

 juice when the spike is cut. As soon as the flowers begin to drop the 

 inflorescence is cut off close to where branching commences and a 

 poultice of boiled ground rice with the addition of a little of the 

 ground tuber of Gadong, Discorea demonum is bound round the cut 

 surface. 



This poultice is removed after three days and a further inch or so 

 of the end of the spike is cut away. A bamboo pipe is then suspend- 

 ed under the cut to collect the sap. The first three or four pints of 



