The Life of the Weevil 



It is corpulent, I agree, as are the Weevils 

 generally, but does not more than another 

 deserve a certificate of obesity. 



Let us look a little deeper. Aapo's means 

 pleasant to the taste, pleasant to the eye, 

 dainty, sweet. Are we there now? Not 

 yet. To be sure, the Larinus is not without 

 daintiness, but how many among the long- 

 nosed Beetles excel him in beauty of 

 costume! Our osier-beds provide nourish- 

 ment for some that are flecked with flowers 

 of sulphur, some that are laced with Chinese 

 white, some that are powdered with 

 malachite-green. They leave on our fingers 

 a scaly dust that looks as though it were 

 gathered from a Butterfly's wing. Our 

 vines and poplar-trees have some that surpass 

 copper pyrites in metallic lustre; the 

 equatorial countries furnish specimens of 

 unparalleled magnificence, true gems beside 

 which the marvels of our jewel-cases would 

 pale. No, the modest Larinus has no right 

 to be extolled as superb. The title of dandy 

 must be awarded to others, in the beak- 

 bearing family, rather than to him. 



If his godfather, better-informed, had 

 named him after his habits, he would have 

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