1837.] 



The Valley of Nepaul. 



459 



is supposed to eat the roots of the rice plants, but its prey more 

 especially is said to be the stalk and juices of the plant ; for obtaining 

 the latter of which it cuts the plants at the joints, after which the ear 

 whitens without filling. The natives attribute the drying up of the ear 

 and plant, to the drinking of its milk (sap), by the grub, which pre- 

 vents the due formation of a full sized grain. The visitation of locust 

 flights is the only remaining evil to be contended with by the cultiva- 

 tors from the insect world. There have been three annual but trivial 

 visitations of these destructive animals within the last five years. They 

 arrived on these occasions in May, and remained four or five days 

 each time. Whence they came or whither they went, could not be 

 ascertained. The natives here say they come from the plains and 

 from the west. The Newars indemnify their losses by the locusts by 

 collecting them in large quantities and eating them. They remove the 

 wings and either fry or make curry of them, and consider them very 

 good. I have seen them dressed, and tasted the dish, but cannot praise 

 its taste or flav our. The fruit trees of the valley gardens, are the 

 prey of a most formidable and destructive species of grub. It is 

 about an inch and a half long, sometimes bluish coloured, sometimes 

 yellow ; it makes its attacks on the roots as well as the stems of the 

 apple, pear, plum, and apricot trees, drilling a hole like a gimlet right 

 into their substance, where apparently revelling on their sap, and com- 

 pletes their ruin as fruit bearers, and often destroys their lives. When 

 this animal makes its entrance into the stem from without and above 

 ground, it leaves a round hole fit to receive a common pea, and sends 

 out behind it small grains the colour of the tree wood, which on hand- 

 ling crumble into the finest powder. 



The appearance of these grains and their dry sapless structure induce 

 the belief that they have been passed from the animal per anum.* The 



* This grub is an inch and 1 -8th long, l-6th inch in diameter'at the head, something 

 in vent, as its head is the largest part and the body tapers to the tail. The head is a 

 brownish red colour, and is formed of a very hard shell-like substance, on the anterior 

 aspect of which there are a few delicate white hairs. The upper part of the mouth as well 

 as both sides are formed of this shelly hard substance, the lower part of it, of a white 

 soft substance like the body of the animal. The body is formed of twelve distinct 

 rings of an uniform yellowish white colour. Along each side -of the animal close to its 

 belly is a row of brownish coloured spots, one on each ring. The animal has altogether 8 

 pair3 of feet, distributed as follows : 3 pair sharp pointed directed towards and attached 

 to the three first rings from the head ; 4 pair shorter, close together, pointing to the 

 ground, and to the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th rings ; and lastly, 1 pair similar to the last or 

 abdominal ones, at the vent attached to the last or 12th ring. Its body when cut open, 

 discharges a thin clear and slightly viscid fluid, sap doubtless. 



