27 
This, though, the jungle was originally felled and burnt, yet 
only tlie lines of trees, which are 15 feet apirt are kept dean for 
about 2 feet in width. The “ Bluker ” in between is allowed to 
grow up and is felled twice a year. Thus the mengkirai, which is 
ordinarily the first stage of bluker, was growing up together with 
the Para. Three methods were adopted in dealing with the pest, 
(a) spraying with Paris green, (b) Hand picking, (c) felling all the 
bluker. The first which was quite successful preserved all the 
trees sprayed. It was only applied to a belt of trees cutting off 
the affected area from the rest of the plantation and effected this 
also. 
The second was abandoned after a couple of days, as it seernde 
to effect no diminution in the numbers. 
The third was tried after the second had failed as it was found 
that the caterpillars hid themselves as soon as the sun was up. 
The felling of the bluker took away what little shade there was 
and in 3 days all the caterpillar had disappeared. 
Jt might be argued that in adopting the latter course Govern- 
ment no doubt preserved their own trees, but at the same time let 
loose millions ol caterpillar to breed and attack Para trees in some 
other district. 
The caterpillar, however, appears to be quite a common one. It 
always attacks “Mengkirai” during drought and I saw about 20 
acres of bluker stripped by it about 3 miles away from Pondok 
Tanjong ; whence these caterpillars probably came ; and it is also 
known in Kuala Kangsar District. 
Unfortunately the specimens which were sent to the Curator of 
the Museum died and so it has not been possible to identify the 
insect. In appearance it is black with a yellow band at the head 
and yellow underneath, slightly hairy, the largest about 2 h to 3 
inches long. It is a most voracious feeder eating almost anything, 
even the sulphur on a match. From the above it will be seen that 
at present Para rubber planters have not much to fear from this 
pest, but at the same time, the occurrence destroys a rather preva- 
lent illusion to the effect that there are no pests other than white 
ants which destroy Para. 
It is also possible that the insect may develop a taste for rub- 
ber in the future, a possibility which our experience at Pondok 
Tanjong distinctly points to. 
When they appeared in 1898 a smaller area was affected and 
the insects did not appear in such numbers and only about 20% 
of the trees attacked failed to recover. 
REPORT ON THE 4#TACK OP WHITE ANTS 
OR TERMITES— “ TERMES GESTROI”— ON 
PARA RUBBER TREES, 
By W. W. Bailey, Selangor. 
I was extremely sorry that I was absent from Selangor when 
you visited Lowlands Estate as I particularly wished to consult 
V‘:l 
