or 1.7 per cent. Madras furnished the principal part of these ship- 
ments. About 30,000,000 pounds, valued at $3,259,000, or 1.6 per 
cent, came from Brazil. Peru, Chile and China stood foremost 
among the countries from which additional imports were received.” 
Agricultural Imports of the United Kingdom , i8g6-njoo, 
l $. Department o f Agricultu re. 
PRESERVATION OF BAMBOOS FROM THE 
ATTACKS OF THE BAMBOOBEETLE OR 
46 SHOT-BORER. 5 
Condensed acco u n 1 ■ . 
The work of the bamboo beetle or “ Shot-borer” is welt known 
in India. Alt who have any thing to do with bamboos have to count 
upon and allow for the ravages of this pest and in many parts a 
year to a year and a half may Vie given as the estimated and prob- 
able life of a bamboo after cutting. 
But although the results of its work are well known, the rea[ 
author of the depredations is far from being a well recognised 
enemy owing both to its small size and to its secretive habits. The 
damage is committed by a tiny beetle and its grubs which are just 
of slightly smaller diameter than the holes with which the bamboos 
are seen to be riddled. The beetle, which has a black head and 
thorax and reddish-covered shining wing coverts, bores its way into 
the bamboo and lays its eggs in the interior, each beetle laying 
about twenty. From these eggs small white roundish dots of grubs 
issue within a few days of their being deposited. These tiny larva? 
burrow up and down in the interior of the bamboo and reduce its 
structure to powder. About four weeks are spent in this stage and 
the grubs then enlarge the ends of their burrows and change to 
pupa? which after some eight days or so turn into the beetles. On 
becoming mature the beetles bore their way out of the bamboos 
and so add further to the tunnels already made in them. On em- 
ergence the insects fly off to attack fresh bamboos or they may bore 
into the one in which they have matured themselves. There are 
thus three separate forms of attack. The matured beetles appear 
to issue either all from the same exit hole or from one or two only, 
these being often the former entrance holes of the mother beetles 
which are considerably enlarged. Beetles of the new generation 
appear to also make use of these old holes to enter the bamboo to 
egg-lay, boring away from the old gallery when they have tr 0t in- 
side. When bamboos are in lengths it will be found that the beetles 
tunnel in them parallel to the long axis and from galleries which 
open atone of the ends. The bamboo is thus often completely 
hollow m parts without there being much outward evidence of its 
having been badly attacked. A feature which greatly adds to the 
insects power of doing serious damage is to be found in the fact 
that it passes through at least five, and perhaps more, generations 
