The Sloe-Weevil 



chimney in the cone. I have indeed caught 

 sight of a white, powdery speck at the top 

 of the central cone. This tunnelled cone 

 therefore is a lift which carries away the 

 rubbish of the excavation. 



But the use of the curious building cannot 

 be limited to this: the ever thrifty insect 

 has not gone to the pains of building a tall, 

 hollow obelisk with the sole object of 

 preparing a thoroughfare for the atoms of 

 dust that hamper the grub in its labours. 

 The same result could be obtained with less 

 trouble; and the Weevil is too sensible to 

 construct the complex when the single would 

 suffice. Let us look at things more closely. 



Evidently the egg, laid in a cup on the 

 surface of the stone, needs a protecting roof. 

 Moreover, the grub, which will presently be 

 working at the bottom of its cup to reach 

 the kernel, will require a refuse-shoot in its 

 restricted quarters. A small, shallow dome, 

 with a window to get rid of the sweepings, 

 would, it seems, fulfil all the requisite 

 conditions. Then why the luxury of this 

 pyramidal chimney which rises to the top- 

 most level of the pit, as a cone in eruption 

 rises in the centre of a volcanic crater? 



215 



