The Life of the Weevil 



self her way out of the pea, which is now 

 quite hard. The larva knows of this future 

 helplessness and provides against it with 

 consummate art. With its strong jaws it 

 bores an exit-shaft, absolutely circular, with 

 very clean-cut sides. Our best ivory-carvers 

 could produce nothing neater. 



To prepare the door of escape in advance 

 is not enough; we must also think of the 

 tranquillity essential to the delicate work of 

 the nymphosis. An intruder might enter 

 through the open door and work mischief 

 upon the defenceless nymph. This opening 

 must therefore be kept shut. And how? 

 Here is the device. 



The grub boring the exit-hole eats the 

 floury matter without leaving a single crumb. 

 On reaching the skin of the seed, suddenly 

 it stops short. This semitranslucent mem- 

 brane is the screen protecting the chamber in 

 which the metamorphosis takes place, the 

 door that defends the cabin against ill-inten- 

 tioned intruders. It is also the only obstacle 

 which the adult will encounter at the time 

 of moving. To lessen the difficulty of forc- 

 ing it out, the grub takes the precaution of 

 carving a groove of least resistance inside the 

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