The Life of the Weevil 



of greater importance. The fantastic stylet 

 prepares the way for the eggs; it is the 

 oviduct's collaborator. 



And this implement, the emblem of the 

 guild, is so honourable that the father does 

 not hesitate to sport it, though himself in- 

 capable of digging the family cells. Like 

 his consort, he too carries an awl, but a 

 smaller one, as befits the modesty of his 

 role. 



A second point becomes clear. In order 

 to insert the egg at convenient points, it is 

 the rule for the insect to possess an im- 

 plement with two functions, an implement 

 which at the same time opens the passage 

 and guides the eggs along it. This is the 

 case with the Cicada,^ the Grasshopper,^ the 

 Saw-fly, the Leucospis ^ and the Ichneumon- 

 fly,^ all of whom carry a sabre, a saw or a 

 probe at the tip of the abdomen. 



The Weevil divides the work and appor- 



^Cf. The Life of the Grasshopper, by J. Henri Fabre, 

 translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos: chapters i. 

 to V. — Translator's Note. 



^Cf. idem: chapter xiv. and passim. — Translator's Note. 



3Cf. The Life of the Fly: chapter iii. — \Translator's Note. 



* Cf. The Life of the Caterpillar, by J. Henri Fabre, 



translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos: chapter xiv., 



in which the activities of one of the Ichneumon-flies, 



Microgaster glomeratus, are described. — Translator's Note. 



30 



