324 



The Ohio Naturalist. 



[Vol. XIV, No. 7, 



The act of preparing the cavity and depositing the egg appar- 

 ently requires considerable energy, for, after depositing an egg, 

 the weevil requires a ]jeriod of rest before repeating the operation. 



SEALING THE CAVITY. 



After the egg has been deposited, but before the ovipositor has 

 been withdrawn, the substance with which the cavity is sealed 

 may be seen flowing through the translucent ovipositor into the 

 cavity. The ovipositor is then withdrawn, and its trowel-like 

 tip is used to work the fluid into place. This consists of a thorough 

 tamping of the material and smoothing of the surface, and con- 

 tinues until the fluid solidifies. This process being completed, 

 the weevil, without changing position, usually deposits a second 



,•'■.••.• .■■ : ■--.&,;■ ■.-.-tt<i V- •■■-.^j.f.t 

 • • •" -. ' ■• -. "'.C-' *''■■ " "•"'•."i.r'Aj'.'vsi"! 





Fi-. 2. Egg. 



Fig. 3. Plug with two or more discharges of 

 material, viewed in normal position in corn. 



mass of material over the first. The second discharge is mvich 

 less i^lastic than the first, and is not tisually very thoroughly worked 

 with the ovipositor, except when the vSurface of the first discharge 

 lies below the surface of the corn. Frequently a third mass of 

 material similar to the second, but much smaller, is discharged. 

 This is rarely tamped. After this, the weevil pays no further at- 

 tion to the egg, but immediately abandons the place. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLUG. 



The plug that seals the cavity may be described as a rallier 

 uneven disc-shai)ed body about .12 mm. thick, the diameter cor- 

 responding to the diameter of the mouth of the cavity. The inner 

 surface is somewhat hemispherical, with a minute pit in the centre 



