352 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



apply more particularly to the species 

 as it occurs in that locality than in 

 places farther to the north or to the 

 south. 



During the first two weeks of Au- 

 gust, when chestnut-burrs arc about 

 half-grown, there will suddenly ap- 



-NICE, FRESH CHES-EE-NUTS, 

 TEN-AH CENTS AH GLASS. 



ONLY 



pear upon chestnut-trees large numbers 

 of long-snouted, grotesque-looking 

 beetles. The beetles are beautifully 

 mottled with two shades of brown and 

 are, exclusive of the snout, about half 

 an inch in length. The snout of the 

 female is longer than the rest of the 

 body and that of the male considera- 

 bly shorter. A few bright warm days 

 following a shower or rainy period, 

 at the season of the year mentioned, is 

 sure to bring the beetles out. After 

 August 15th, an examination of bear- 

 ing trees, in localities where the chest- 

 nut abounds, is almost sure to reveal 

 a good number of the beetles. They 

 continue on the trees until late in Oc- 



tober but gradually decrease in num- 

 bers after the last of August. The 

 beetles are so curious in appearance 

 and so interesting in their actions that 

 anyone who spends a little time in 

 watching them will feel well repaid 

 for his trouble. 



In ten days or two weeks after their 

 first appearance on the trees the fe- 

 males begin to lay their eggs. When 

 an egg is to be laid she selects a place 

 on the side or end of the burr — she 

 is not particular as to the exact loca- 

 tion — and after many high stems and 

 much shifting of her long legs, she 

 gets a foothold among the spines. She 

 then raises her body to the full length 

 of her legs, draws her snout down- 

 ward and backward until it extends in 

 a rigid line from the front end of her 

 bod}- to the husk of the burr beneath. 

 The only mouth which the insect has 

 is located out on the end of this snout. 

 The other end of the snout is attached 

 to the front part of the head and the 

 head, which is round like a ball, fits 

 into a concavity in the front end of the 

 thorax, the two forming a sort of ball- 

 and-socket joint. The mouth is made 

 up in part of a strong, sharp set of 

 jaws and when the beetle has taken 

 the position described she begins to 

 rotate the snout by turning the head 

 in the joint at the thorax. At each 

 turn the snout and head revolve about 

 half way around. The steady, rotary 

 motion is keot in with very little rest 

 and meanwhile all the pressure possible 

 is brought to bear on the snout. This 

 forces it gradually into the husk until 

 a puncture is made which extends 

 through the husk, the silken lining of 

 its inner surface, the shell of the nut 

 and its lining to the kernel of the nut 

 which, at this time, is just beginning 

 to form. When the kernel is reached 

 the beetle deliberately withdraws her 

 snout from the puncture, reverses 

 ends as though she were hung on a 

 pivot, and protects a long, tube-like ovi- 

 positor from her anal extremity. This 

 ovioositor is a flexible, two-jointed ar- 

 rangement which telescooes together 

 and is withdrawn into the body when not 

 in use. It is about as long as the snout 

 but the observer does not get to see its 

 full length for when only a fourth of 



