22 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS OF VICTORIA: 



of this book, the plates being drawn from the admirable 

 illustrations bj Professor Riley, Chief State Entomologist 

 of the United States, and for the accuracy of the original 

 plates the name of that gentleman is a sufficient guarantee. 



The branch of plum tree, with fruit and small beetles 

 on same, is from nature, the insects being about the 

 natural size, as per published descriptions. "Living 

 in plums, cherries, pears, nectarines, apricots, quinces, 

 and apples, a yellowish-white footless grub, see Fig. 3, 

 which undergoes its transformations in the earth." This 

 is undoubtedly the worst enemy (in America) with which 

 the fruit-grower has to contend, in fact its operations 

 have become so extensive that the raising of plums has 

 become almost entirely abandoned in several sections of 

 California. 



" The female Curculio makes a small hole in the fiaiit 

 with her snout (see Fig. 1), then turns around and there- 

 in deposits a single egg, after which she gnaws a crescent- 

 shaped slit around and partially under the egg. This 

 precaution is probably taken in order to prevent the fruit 

 from growing over and thus destroying the egg. This 

 crescent is a pretty sure indication that the fruit upon 

 which it appears is infested with the Curculio, although 

 upon apples and similar fruits the growth is so rapid 

 as to obliterate the growth of the fruit in a short 

 time. 



" Each female is supposed to have a stock of from 50 to 

 100 eggs, and to deposit from five to ten a day, while 

 those which appear earlier, begin this work by the middle 

 of May ; it is continued by others which appears later, so 

 that the period of egg-laying is extended to a period of 

 about two months. 



" The larva which hatches from the eggs of the Curculio 

 is a small footless worm, somewhat resembling a maggot, 

 except that it does not taper so much, and it has a distinct 

 head. It is of a glossy yellowish-white colour, but par- 

 takes more of the colour of the fruit which it infests. 

 There is a lighter line running along each side of the 

 body, with a row of minute black bristles below, and a 



