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CEYLON BRANCH ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



sky clear. In the day-time it is seldom, if ever, to be met 

 with, unless it be within the stems of the plants, into which 

 it may have eaten its way during the previous evening. Its 

 work usually begins with the coming darkness, for as soon 

 as the fire-light spreads its shades over the earth, these 

 insects are heard, rather than seen, buzzing through the air, 

 in quest of their favourite haunts. They seldom attack a 

 plant before it is 18 months old, or has some considerable 

 thickness of stem to play upon, and in their labours, they 

 always select, as the most valuable part, that portion of the 

 stem which lays immediately below the upper leaves, where 

 the substance is as yet green and soft, and where bark has 

 not yet formed. To force asunder the rind of the stalk, 

 and open a passage down the interior, they employ the single 

 horn, situated on the centre of the head, and so well do 

 they ply this powerful little weapon, that within an hour, or 

 even less, from the commencement of operations, they will 

 have made an aperture, and introduced themselves within 

 the body of the plant, when they immediately begin to work 

 their way downwards, through the centre and most tender 

 part. The leaflet bursting from the crown of the young 

 tree, is generally destroyed by them, which of course, keeps 

 the plant back in its growth for some little time, perhaps for 

 several months, by which period, a new leaf will grow, to 

 run the same risk as its predecessor. A Cocoanut plant is 

 naturally hardy, and it must be eaten through, and cut open 

 a number of times, before it will die. The tree, however, 

 often does die, even when it is in bearing, though this hap- 

 pens but rarely. If the Cooroominea be not detected, and 

 removed the morning following its entrance, it will reach 

 down to the root, turn about, and make its way out in search 

 of another plant. 



Their object, in thus entering the plant, is doubtless food, 

 for no eggs have ever been discovered in these holes, and the 



