The Life of the Weevil 



Weevil abandons her shaft and solemnly 

 retires, hiding among the dead leaves. I 

 shall learn no more to-day. 



But I have been given a hint. On still 

 days, more favourable to my hunting, I 

 return to the spot and soon have the where- 

 withal to stock my cages. Foreseeing 

 serious difficulties because of the slowness of 

 the work, I prefer to continue my studies 

 indoors, with the unlimited leisure to be 

 found at home. 



This was an excellent precaution. If I 

 had tried to go on as I had begun and to 

 observe the Weevil's actions in the freedom 

 of the woods, never should I have had the 

 patience to follow to the end the choice of 

 the acorn, the boring of the hole and the 

 laying of the eggs — even presuming that my 

 discoveries were propitious — so meticulously 

 deliberate is the insect in its business, as the 

 reader will presently be able to judge. 



The copses frequented by my Weevil are 

 composed of three kinds of oaks : the ilex and 

 the durmast, which would become fine trees 

 if the woodcutter gave them time, and lastly 

 the kermes-oak, a wretched, scrubby bush. 

 The first, the most plentiful of the three, 

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