The Life of the Weevil 



following day, through a tiny aperture which 

 would hardly admit the point of a fair-sized 

 needle, it has entered into the promised land 

 and is in possession of the kernel. 



Another stroke of luck partly tells me the 

 use of the central cone pierced chimney- 

 fashion. The mother, while sinking the pit 

 in the flesh of the sloe, drinks the juices that 

 ooze out and eats the pulp. This is the 

 most direct manner of getting rid of the 

 refuse without interrupting her work. 

 When she is digging in the surface of the 

 stone, the cup intended to receive the egg, 

 she leaves in place the fine dust resulting 

 from her labours, an excellent material as 

 bedding for the egg but useless as food. 



And what does the maggot in its turn do 

 with its sawdust as it deepens the pit in order 

 to reach the kernel? To scatter the rubbish 

 round about is impossible: there is no room; 

 to put it away in its stomach is even less 

 feasible: it cannot make its first mouthfuls 

 of this dry flour while waiting for the milk- 

 food of a kernel. 



The new-born grub has a better method. 

 With a few heaves of its back, it thrusts 

 the litter of rubbish outside, through the 

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