( 21 ) 



foft place for the egg to lie in ; and alio, tliat when the minute 

 maggot fhould creep out, it might find this foft and loofened meal 

 prepared for ite firfl: feeding on^ 



Some of thefe maggots I placed in glades by tliemfelves, and ob- 

 ferved them gradually to aflume the form of Weevils, the beak, 

 horns, and claws, appearing by degrees, and the colour alfo chang- 

 ing from a white to a yellow, and then to the red colour of the 

 Weevil; 



As I had obferved, that none of thefe infecls which w^ere kept in 

 glades together v.ith graiiis of wlieat, ever depofited their eggs on the 

 glafs, I put three females into a glafs by themfelves, and in the 

 fpace of twenty-four hours they laid four eggs. One of which eggs 

 drawn from the microfcope, is repreiented in Plate 11.^^. i, ABC. 

 In the fpace of feven days thefe eggs produced the kind of maggots 

 before mentioned, which, when firft hatched, Mere not larger than a 

 grain of fand, and one of thefe as lying on its back, and drawn from 

 the microfcope is reprefented at j^g-. 2, wherein D E F, is the head 

 and FGD the body. This maggot was in continual motion, but 

 when a little at reft, it contra(5ted its body together, and in this po- 

 fition the limner drew its figure, and when it attained to its full fize, 

 the Ihape remained the fame until the time approached for its being 

 changed into a Weevil. Another m.aggot whicli I had fixed orfaftened 

 by its hind part before the microfcope, I caufed to be drawn when it 

 extended its body, and this is diewn ^t fig. 3, H I K. 



Thele maggots have very little ftrength to move from place to 

 place, fo that it feems defigned by nature, that they fliould be fed 

 no where but in grains of corn : for if a Weevil were to depofit its 

 egg in any place, except in the infideof a grain, it would in my opi- 

 nion, be impodible for the maggot thence produced to procure any 

 nourirhment and become a perfect Weevil. 



Tueie things confidered, we may be fully fatisfied refpe(51;ing tlie 



