Of the weevil or CORN- BEETLE. 



Wherein the common opinion that this Infect is bred in Corn Jponiane- 

 oujly, isjhezvn to be erroneous ; the true nature of its Generalio7i ex- 

 plained; with tie means to preferve Corn from its infection. 



1 HAVE heard it flrongly argued, that the Weevil or Corn- 

 beetle, (which is a very noxious infe6l, well kriown to corn dealers 

 and bakers in this country,) is produced by what is called equivocal 

 or fpontaneous generation, that is to fay, from inanimate fubflances 

 Avithout any parent. The principal reafons alledged in fupport of 

 this opinion are, that we often find this infe6l in a new granary, 

 where never wheat was kept before, and therefore it is deemed a 

 neceflary conclufion, that W^eevils are not propagated by the 

 ordinary courfe of generation. Again it is faid, that we may open 

 many grains of wheat, which are found and uninjured, fo that no 

 inark of a perforation or hole, fliall be difcernible on the outfide, yet 

 within thefe grains Oiall be found perfeftly formed and living 

 Weevils. 



The anfwer which I have given to thefe arguments has been, that 

 thcfe little animals may, by ourfelves, be removed from one grana- 

 ry to another without our knowledge : for fuppofing the perfon em- 

 ployed to remove corn, to have come out of a granary, or barn, in- 

 fefted with Weevils, he may eafily carry fome grains of corn contain- 

 ing them, or fome of the infe6ls themfelves, flicking about his clothes, 

 or in his flioes, and thus remove them into a granary where none 



C 



