The Life of the Weevil 



width as the head, which, being rigid, with 

 a horny cap, does not lend itself to deforma- 

 tion. Where the head has passed, the body 

 has to pass, however fat it may be. When 

 the liberation is completed, it is most 

 surprising to see how bulky a cylinder, how 

 corpulent a grub has contrived to make its 

 way through the tiny opening. If we had 

 not witnessed the exodus, we should never 

 have suspected such a feat of gymnastics. 



The orifice, we were saying, is exactly 

 fitted to the diameter of the head. Now 

 this inelastic head, by whose size that of 

 the hole has been calculated, represents at 

 most one-third of the width of the body. 

 How does a threefold thickness pass through 

 a single calibre? 



Here comes the head, without the least 

 difficulty: it is the pattern to which the door 

 was built. The neck, a little wider, follows: 

 a slight contraction frees it. Next comes the 

 turn of the chest and the plump belly. This 

 is a most arduous operation. The grub has 

 no legs. It has nothing, neither hooks nor 

 stiff bristles, that might give it a purchase. 

 It is a soft roly-poly which has, by its own 

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