274 
The black one is abundant in Singapore and also I have seen it 
in Selangor. 
To the same group of beetles (Curculionidce) belong the red 
coconut beetle Rhynchop horns ferruginous described in the Strait 
Asiatic Society No. 20. The West Indian palm weevil R. pal - 
marum has been made the subject of a very valuable paper by 
W. F, Blandford (Kew Bulletin, Feb. -Mar. 1893, p. 27-60) 
where there are many useful notes on dealing with these pestilen- 
tial insects. 
Recently a note was published in the Ceylon Observer and re- 
printed in the Government Gazette, as to the cleaning of a badly 
in f ested estate in Ceylon, and mention was made of the successful 
plan of cutting into infected trees and removing the larvae of the 
red beetle, the wound being afterwards treated with tar. This 
has long been the practice in the Botanic Gardens and many va- 
luable palms have been saved in this way. The plan adopted 
was to cut off the leaves one by one till the bud was exposed 
and the beetle grubs in the surrounding tissue destroyed. A cy- 
lindrical cap or bag was then placed over the top of the palm, to 
keep off the rain and removed when the next leaves began to 
push it up. No tar or other disinfectant was used. Of course 
care must be taken not to injure the growing point of the palm, 
but it is surprising how boldly one can cut into the bud without 
killing the tree. A fine Oreodoxa regia containing upwards of a 
dozen grubs was lately operated on and in a very few months 
showed no signs of the very severe operation it had undergone, 
The red beetle appears to be very partial to Sago palms, and 
breeds rapidly in the waste bits and the top and stump left by 
the sago cutter. Sago palm groves when being worked are apt 
to develop into an extensive breeding ground for these animals. 
They seem to do but littleharm to the plant itself, though at times 
they do kill a few shoots. The tops and waste bits left in pre- 
paring Sago should be split up so that the beetles cannot breed 
therein. The most difficult thing however is to deal with the 
bases of the stems in the ground as they cannot be easily re- 
moved without injuring the side shoots ; they should be scooped 
out as much as possible when, if water settles in the cavity, the 
beetles will not come. 
Hemiptera. 
The red cotton bug. — Dysdercus cingulatus, Fabr. is a very 
conspicuous and brilliant bug about half an inch long. The 
head thorax and upper part of the wings red, with the scutellum 
and a spot on each wing black, lower half of upper and lower 
wings, legs and antennae black, body red with white rings. This 
insect which is very common, attacks cotton plants, piercing 
them with its beak and sucking the juices. It feeds also on other 
Malbacece Hibiscus abel moschus , and Urena lobata, and is said 
also to attack Bottle-gourds in India. 
The Rice SafTer. — Leptoc orisa acuta Thumb, is mentioned by 
Wray, Perak Museum Notes II, p. 60, as occurring in Perak. I 
