36 
FETCH : 
considerable period, to a ‘‘falling star” or a “ meteorite.” 
Until quite recently deaths from budrot were always so 
explained, and probably cases of root disease also, while I 
have been offered the same theory in the case of a tree which 
^^as obviously killed by “ red beetle ” (Rhynchophorns signati- 
collis Chevr,). When the observer is not the owner of the 
trees in question, but merely after the storm examines the 
locality to find out “ what the lightning struck,” the possi- 
bility of error is still greater, for he is apparently content to 
accept headless stems as evidence of the lightning stroke, 
without pausing to consider what has become of the crowns, 
and in many cases he relies on the evidence of trees, which the 
pathologist could inform him had been headless for months 
previously. 
The damage infiicted on coconut palms by lightning may 
take any one, or any combination, of the following three 
forms : — • 
(1) The crown may be set on fire. 
(2) The tree may be mechanically injured, either by split- 
ting of the stem or by defoliation. 
(3) The tree may exude a liquid which dries in red-brown 
streaks and patches on the stem. 
Combustion of the Crown. 
This has been recorded by Frank (Krankheiten der Pflanzen, 
2nd ed., I., page 241), who states that the dry branches and 
leaf stalks of palms are sometimes set on fire by lightning. 
In 1895 considerable interest was aroused in the Ceylon 
daily press by the report that a coconut palm had been seen 
with its crown on fire at Pondicherry. The subsequent 
correspondence has been recorded in the “ Tropical Agri- 
culturist ” (Vol. XV.), and from the opinions expressed it 
would appear that lightning was generally considered a normal 
explanation. One correspondent recalled that a similar 
occurrence had been observed in 1893 or 1894 near Christ 
Church, Colombo, during a severe storm (“ Tropical Agri- 
culturist,” Vol. XV., page 351), while Mr. W. H. Wright stated 
that some time ago he had witnessed a coconut tree taking 
fire from a flash of lightning just before the rain came down, 
