The Life of the Weevil 



the magnifying-glass. The hands of a watch 

 do not move more slowly. For a long 

 while, the insect stands still, at the same 

 point, with its claws firmly fixed: it is wait- 

 ing for the leaf to take the curve and cease 

 to react. Here, of course, there is no glue 

 to set hard and hold the fresh surfaces stuck 

 together. The stability depends purely on 

 the flexion acquired. And so it is not un- 

 usual for the elasticity of the leaf to over- 

 come the worker's efforts and partly to un- 

 roll the more or less complete work. Stub- 

 bornly, with the same impassive slowness, 

 the insect begins all over again, putting the 

 unsubjected piece back into its place. No, 

 the Weevil is not one to allow herself to be 

 upset by failure: she knows too well what 

 patience and time can do. 



As a rule, the Rhynchites works back- 

 wards. When her line is finished, she is 

 careful not to abandon the fold which she 

 has just made in order to return to the 

 starting-point and begin another. The part 

 last folded is not yet sufficiently subdued; 

 if left to itself too soon, it might prove 

 rebellious and flatten out again. The insect 

 therefore continues at this extreme point, 

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