CEYLON BRANCH ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



61 



fibrous substance of the stem is found ejected, evidently after 

 having been masticated, in a finely divided state, similar to 

 coir fibre. 



It is very rare indeed, that more than one beetle is found 

 attacking a plant at the same time, though a few cases are 

 known, where two or three have been removed from one 

 hole. The ordinary method of extracting the insects from 

 the cavities, followed by the natives, is by splitting open the 

 stem, from the hole downwards, with a cattle or large knife, 

 until the beetle can be taken out by the finger. This cutting 

 open the young tree, of course greatly disfigures it, and must 

 necessarily retard its growth ; still this is deemed of far less 

 consequence than the destruction of the insect, which, if suf- 

 fered to escape, is sure to attack other plants, and in the end 

 multiply in numbers, An improvement has been made in 

 this process of removal, by a gentleman owning tracts of 

 Cocoanut trees, on the Eastern coast of the Island, where it 

 appears, the Cooroominea is also numerous ; and this im- 

 provement consists in introducing down the aperture a long 

 iron-wire, with a barbed end, and this barb or hook being 

 driven down briskly, enters the hard back of the insect, and 

 enables the operator to draw out the intruder, without injury 

 to the plant. The writer has seen as many as fifty of these 

 beetles, collected from a field of not more than 10 acres, 

 during one morning. The finest and largest plants are 

 generally selected in preference to others, less vigorous of 

 growth ; indeed the Cooroominea, seldom attacks any that are 

 diminutive in size, and of tender age. It has not yet been 

 ascertained, where these insects usually deposit their eggs, 

 though it is believed, with good reason, that they are placed 

 in very light soil, or decayed vegetable matter, for in such 

 places the grub is often found issuing from the earth, and it 

 does not appear too much to suppose, that the beetle is 

 endowed with sufficient instinct to know, that in depositing 



