The Life of the Weevil 



and that is all. The germ is left there, 

 unprotected, right in the sun. Nor is any 

 choice of site made, to assist the coming grub 

 and shorten its quest when it has to make 

 its way unaided into the larder. There are 

 eggs placed on the swellings created by the 

 peas; there are just as many in the barren 

 dividing valleys. It is for the grub to take 

 its bearings accordingly. In short, the 

 Bruchus' eggs are laid anyhow, as though 

 sown on the wing. 



A more serious flaw: the number of eggs 

 confided to one pod is not in proportion to 

 that of the peas contained in it. Let us first 

 realize that each grub needs a ration of one 

 pea, an obligatory ration, amply sufficient for 

 the welfare of one larva, but not big enough 

 for several consumers, nor even for two. 

 A pea for each grub, no more and no less, 

 is the invariable rule. 



Procreative economy would therefore 

 demand that the mother, familiar with the 

 pod which she has just explored, should, 

 when emitting her germs, more or less limit 

 their number to that of the peas which it 

 contains. Now there is no limit. To a 

 238 



