Il6 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



fall, and on finding what he similarly mistook for such larvze in haws in 

 winter. Of course we know positively now that the Plum Curculio 

 does not so breed in pear twigs, and it is very evident tliat what Dr. Fitch 

 took to be Plum Curculio larvte in such a twig were the young of some 

 other insect, or perhaps even the eggs of some leaf-hopper ( Tettigojzid) 

 which are generally placed in the position described by him. But 

 though this first error of Dr. Fitch's has been explained away, the second 

 never has till now, when we may assume, with gi'eat reason, that the 

 larvae which misled the Doctor and which were found in ha\vs in winter 

 time, were in reality the larvae of our Qiiince Curculio. How easily are 

 fallacies exploded, and errors corrected, even years after they are com- 

 mitted, by a few well tested facts! 



The two former Curculios which we have been considering have a 

 beetle existence of between nine and ten months, during most of which 

 time, or as long as the weather is sufficiently mild, they feed in the man- 

 ner described. The present species has a beetle existence of not more 

 than two months, and as though aware of the short term allotted to it 

 for enjoyment, it endeavors to make the best use of its time. Conse- 

 quently we find it more ravenous than either of the other species, and it 

 is really astonishing how much this insect eats. It excavates immense 

 holes for food, often buiying itself in them completely; and I have known 

 apples furnished to these beetles in confinement, to have their substance so 

 completely devoured, that nothing but the rind was left. Two years ago 

 this fall there was scarcely a quince that came into the St. Louis market, 

 that was not marred by numbers of large gougings, and though I was 

 then inclined to attribute such holes, to the gnawings of grasshoppers, 

 I feel pretty well convinced at present that the work might with more 

 justice have been attributed to this Qiiince Curculio. 



The question will naturally arise, since this insect breeds in the haw, 

 the quince, and the pear, whether it will also breed in the closely allied 

 apple .'' So far as my experiments go, they indicate clearly that it will 

 not; for although the beetle will eat and greatly disfigure apples, when 

 no other nourishment is at hand, yet a number which I confined to a large 

 branch of an apple tree on the 14th of June last, absolutely refused to 

 deposit eggs and died three weeks afterwards. 



REMEDIES. 



Very fortunately this insect drops as readily when alarmed as does 

 the Plum Curculio, and the jarring process will be found just as eflect- 

 ual in catching it, with the additional advantage that the jarring need 

 only be carried on for about ten weeks of the year, namely, from about 

 the first of June to the middle of August in this latitude. Moreover, in 

 accordance with its late appearance we find that, according to Dr. Trim- 

 ble, whenever it attacks pears, it prefers the late ripening varieties. 

 Again, it is, like the Plum Curculio, nocturnal in its habits, and secret- 

 ive during the day; so that the Ransom process will undoubtedly prove 

 effectual with it if used at the right season. All fruit that falls should 

 be destroyed, and as we know that the larva hibernates in the ground, 



