( "-3 ) 



tr-emity with its pincers or teeth would not have been vifible, as it is 

 now to be fe^n at O : within this mouth or orihce are two fdngs or 

 piercers which are continually in motion and one of which is I'een in 

 tlie figure, but 1 never obi'erved the animal to protrude or thruft 

 tliofe Itings or piercers farther than the extremity of the pincers at 

 O ; fo that I imagine the only ufe of thefe organs is to break or di- 

 vide the hulks of the wheat and the meal within it ; and, having fre- 

 quently contemplated this animal, while feeding, 1 obferved it, after 

 having thruil its trunk, into a grain of wheat,, to (tick fo clofely to it,^ 

 that, though tofied about, it would not let go its hold. . 



y r, are the two horns ; LMR, is part of the head ; and at M 

 are reprel'ented* a coliectJon of globules, which through the micro- 

 fcope exhibit the fame appearance as if by the naked eye we were to 

 lee a parcel of very minute black coral beads placed iir exacl order 

 clofe together ; and this 1 concluded to be one of the eyes. 



I am not very fond of drawing the whole bodies of fmall animals 

 from the microfcope, becaufe I con"der that to be of little utility ; 

 and this is the reafon why I have only given a figure of part of this 

 infe6l when marrnified. 



I trull that thefe experiments and obfervations will prove that' 

 Weevils cannot be produced, otherwife than by propagation, that 

 is to fay, by copulating and laying eggs, from which eggs maggots 

 proceed ; and finally thofe maggots are changed into Weevils. But 

 whether the vulgar will be hereby convinced of the error of their 

 opinion in this refpeft, I much doubt,^ being continually peftered with 

 their obje^lions to what I have advanced. It is, however, with me, 

 a mail certain truth, that what I have demonftrated refpedfing the 



* To thofs who have not been much converfant in thefe objects, it may feem ftrange that 

 acolleftlon of globules or little balls fhould conftitute but one eye; but fuch readers will be 

 pk-af:d to underftand, that in moft infedls, each eye is formed of a great number of fmaller 

 optical organs, or eyes, and this fubjeft will be found amply dil'cufled in the courfe of this 

 work. 



