The Life of the Weevil 



the sap of the thistle, which oozes up from 

 the roots. As long as the blue globe is on 

 its stalk, very much alive, the sap ascends, 

 the broached casks exude their contents and 

 the grub sips the nourishing draught. But, 

 once detached from the stem, cut off from its 

 source of supply, the cellar runs dry. There- 

 upon the larva promptly dies. This explains 

 the fatal catastrophe of my attempts to rear 

 it. 



All that the Larinus-larvae need is to lick 

 the exudations from a wound. The method 

 employed is henceforth obvious. The new- 

 born grubs, hatched upon the central globe, 

 take their places around its axis, proportion- 

 ing the distance between them to the number 

 of guests. Each of them peels and slashes 

 with its mandibles the part in front of it, 

 causing the nutritious moisture to exude. If 

 the spring dies up through healing, fresh 

 bites revive it. 



But the attack is made with circumspection. 

 The central column and its circular capital 

 form the mainstay of the globe. If too 

 extensively injured, the scaffolding would 

 bend before the wind and bring down the 

 dwelling. Moreover, the conduits of the 

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