36 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
flies are not parasitic, strictly speaking, and the young 
maggots, are likely left upon the dead beetles only. 
During April last, upon an old root with ferns grow- 
ing on same, hanging sospended, on the hotel veranda, 
I found successively three dead beetles, covered by a 
greenish gray fungoid. The respective root had been 
brought down from the mountains previous. From out 
of them the spores were taken anli brought in contact 
with twenty healthy individuals in a glass jar kept 
slightly damp with Sphagnum moss. They were daily 
given fresh food, as during all the subsequent experi- 
ments. To my astonishment and delight, thirty hours 
later, one of the beetles was seen dead, with its legs 
outstretched, and on the various joints the white fung- 
oid growth made its appearance. In two days more 
the grayish green fruit was present. For weeks these 
experiments were kept up, always with good results. 
The fungoid was most successfully raised upon steri- 
lized black bread ; less so on white bread, potato with 
glycerine, sweet potatoes, gelatine with Agar-Agar, 
banana and fruit juices. Later on the beetles were 
placed in large tight wooden boxes, the bottom of 
which was covered with about one inch oi slightly 
damp soil ; a few handfuls of dead beetles showing 
spores were placed on top of this; fresh and slightly 
damp food was given, and the healthy individuals 
E laced within. Thus we infected quarts of diseased 
eetles that were distributed all over the Island, and 
many parties again raised their own seed for distri- 
bution. Numerous eggs, placed in infected soil chiefly, 
hatched ; yet all the minute larvae became affected 
at once after issuing. A few remained uuhatohed and 
the larvae were found dead within, yet to all appear- 
ances not affected. Larvae dusted with the spores, 
as a rule begin to die in about five days, become 
blown and hard, sometimes with a reddish tinge ; soon 
the fungus growth shows on the outside until the 
larvae appears all white. In a couple of days later 
tie fruit appears, and again the larva slightly shrinks 
and is covered by the millions of greenish gray fruits 
or spores. On May 9th a lot of larvae were dug up in 
a garden, dusted with the spores and replaced. On 
examining the ground again. May 16th, some were 
found dead and hard ; upon those the spores were 
ripe two days later. Pupae dusted with spores never 
hatches, and always produces the fungoid disease, 
The virulence of the same upon the beetles was 
shown already, on August 4th, at Spreokles’ garden, 
under one of the badly eaten Terminalia catalpa 
trees, the dead beetles could be counted by the hun- 
dreds ; even on the partly devoured leaves specimens 
could be seen with stiff, outstretched legs. Likewise 
at the Government nursery, large numbers of them 
were lying on the ground. 
Both the larva and mature insects of the cane 
borer are affected by the disease. Later in the 
season, in a garden where experiments had 
been carried on, not only did I hardly find any more 
living larvae of Adoretus, but those of the Aphodius 
as well were destroyed. 
Tineid larvae were found destroyed by the same, 
and also nice specimens of Nictuids covered with 
spores were preserved. The large Cerambycid larvae 
(Aegosoma reflexum) so destructive to sugar cane at 
Spreckelsville was likewise destroyed by this fungoid. 
Koaches are as well subject to its virulent effects. 
There is little doubt in my mind that in damp 
localities at least the beetles will have little chance 
to become very numerous, but how effective the 
disease will be in dry localities and Honolulu, the 
next summer will show. The spores have been sent 
to Washington and Brisbane, Queensland, for experi- 
ments at those localities. 
A sraall green Tineid larva appears upon the leaves 
of sweet potatoes, within which it mines, causing the 
leaves to turn brown and dry up, and in consequence 
the plants die off ; this is the “ Ponnllo ” of the 
natives, often destroying the entire plants in whole 
districts, and bringing great suffering among the 
poorer classes. The larva likewise lives upon the 
various other Convulvulus. 
The insect was seen at work in Olaa, where in about 
a week’s time tho whole field of sweet potatoes had 
turned brown, not a single parasite or predaceous 
lJULY I, 1897 . 
insect was noticed among the myriads of minute 
larve that pupate anywhere on the outside of the 
leaves to a naked Chrysalid. 
'Phis and the somewhat allied Plutella cruciferarum 
living upon the various Cruciferous plants need im- 
mediate attention, and hopes are entertained that 
with the introduction of proper parasistes they will 
become less to such an extent as hardly to be noticed. 
« 
PROWLING ROUND. 
(By a Peripatetic Contributor.) 
I was anxious to see 
THE NEW CACAO PEST, 
of wilich I had heard .so much, but little was 
visible. The trees looked robu.«t and vigorous, 
but there were .signs higher up tliat the enemy 
was at work, though less than I should have 
expected. There was a sprinkling of crop through 
the tree.s. and an appearance of blossom about; 
but I am told that it is later in the year when 
most of the damage through the pest is made 
manifest. 
We passed a 
FINE NEW FACTORY, 
a little way out of Wattagama, elected by Mr. 
Charles Gibbon, but saw no good tea about until 
we got higher up. There was evidence all round of 
NATIVE INDUSTRY, 
in cleared-up patches for tea, some poor enough 
to warrant disappointment ere long, while other 
bits looked well enough. 
“EAXAWA,” 
where the tea was vigorous, and the huge stacks of 
firewood around the factory, were eloquent of 
much tea to be made. There was the other side 
too, of a district denuded of its sylvan beauty 
along the road to Hatale— whicli road liy the way 
was in anything but good order— the wide and 
varied view was charming, but the red patches of 
new clearings did not improve the outlook. We 
passed strings of carts loaded up with tea, of 
well-known marks and there were lots of coolies 
on the road. Turning up to Kelebokka, there 
was visible below like a white ribbon through 
green— the road to John’s Hill and Knuckles. 
At the former place in the days gone by - Padre 
Burnet used to stay, when he was the itinerary 
clergyman of the planting districts. — These were 
the days after the “ Knuckles Bricks,” when the 
men had a ready pen and were keen on an argu- 
ment. What theological discussions and doctrinal 
tussles there were in the Padre's bungalow, for 
he was areal “ argle-bargle Scot” himself, and 
no gauge of battle was ever thrown down there, 
that remained neglected. Ah ! these men of the 
past ! are we never to see their like again ? Is 
sport to be the one eternal threadbare theme 
that intellect is to be wasted on ? 
BRITISH NORTH BORNEO. 
The British North Borneo Government has 
approved of their officials taking up land for 
colFee idanting, and five of the officials are so 
satisfied of its being a success that they are 
taking advantage of the privilege. The enclosed 
p.ara. may interest your readers. Some very im- 
portant concessions have lately been made in 
British North Borneo for the working of petro- 
leum, oil, timber and gold, among which we may 
mention one to the Bombay and Burmah Trading, 
Co. for the working of petroleum oil in the Northern 
part of British North Borneo where petroleum oil 
exists. This Company have already acquired a 
