The Haricot-Weevil 



Bruchus has not gone beyond the botanical 

 genus Phaseolus. But here Is something that 

 increases the danger and shows us the 

 phaseolus-lover in an unexpected light. The 

 Bruchus accepts without the least hesitation 

 the dried pea, the broad bean, the everlasting 

 pea, the vetch, the chick-pea; she passes from 

 one to the other, always satisfied; her family 

 live and prosper in all these legumina as well 

 as they do in the haricot. Only the lentil is 

 refused, perhaps because of its insufficient 

 size. What a dread robber this American 

 Weevil is ! 



The evil would become still greater if, as 

 I feared at first, the ever greedy insect passed 

 from leguminous seeds to cereals. This 

 it does not do. When installed in my jars 

 with a heap of wheat, barley, rice or maize, 

 the Bruchus invariably dies without offspring. 

 The result is the same with horny seeds, such 

 as coffee-beans; with oleaginous seeds, such as 

 those of the castor-oil-plant or of the sun- 

 flower. Nothing outside the legumina suits 

 the Bruchus. Notwithstanding these limita- 

 tions, its portion Is a very extensive one; and 

 it uses and abuses it with the utmost energy. 



The eggs are white and drawn out into 

 287 



