The Life of the Weevil 



it to the wood, on which it feeds for the next 

 three years. The Cetonia's, born in a heap 

 of decomposed vegetable matter, has its food 

 ready to its mouth, without seeking. 



With such primitive habits as these, 

 which emancipate the family at birth, with- 

 out the least previous training, how far re- 

 moved are we from the maternal tenderness 

 of the Copris, ^ the Necrophorus, ^ the 

 Sphex^ and so many others! Apart from 

 these privileged tribes, there is nothing very 

 striking to be noted. It is enough to fill with 

 despair the observer in search of facts really 

 worth recording. 



The children, it is true, often make up to 

 us for their untalented mothers. Their in- 

 genuity is sometimes amazing, from the time 

 when they are hatched. Witness our Larini. 

 What can the mother do? Nothing but 

 bury the eggs in the blossoms of the thistles. 

 But what a singular industry on the part of 

 the grub which builds itself a thatched hut, 

 upholsters itself a cabin, cards itself a mat- 



1 Cf. The Sacred Beetle and Others: chaps, ix., x. and 

 xvi. — 'Translator's Note. 



2 Or Burying-beetle. Cf. The Gloiv-ivorm and Other 

 Beetles: chaps, xi. and xii. — Translator's Note. 



^ Cf. The Hunting Wasps: chaps, iv. to x. — Trans- 

 lator's Note. 



74 



