COLEOPTERA. 53 



usually knobbed at the end, and arc situated on the muzzle or 

 snout, on each side of which there is generally a short groove 

 to receive the base of the antennfc when the latter are turned 

 backwards. Their feelers are very small, and, in most kinds, 

 are concealed within the mouth. The abdomen is often of an 

 oval form, and w4der than the thorax. The legs are short, not 

 fitted for running or digging, and the soles of the feet are short 

 and flattened. These beetles are often very hurtful to plants, 

 by boring into the leaves, bark, buds, fruit, and seeds, and 

 feeding upon the soft substance therein contained. They are 

 diurnal insects, and love to come out of their retreats and 

 enjoy the sunshine. Some of them fly well ; bvit others have 

 no wings, or only very short ones, under the wing-cases, and 

 are therefore unable to fly. They walk slowly, and being of a 

 timid nature, and without the means of defence, when alarmed 

 they turn back their antenna? under the snout, fold up their 

 legs, and fall from the plants on which they live. They make 

 use of their snouts not only in feeding, but in boring holes, 

 into which they afterwards drop their eggs. 



The young of these snout-beetles are mostly short fleshy 

 grubs, of a whitish color, and withovit legs. The covering of 

 their heads is a hard sheU, and the rings of their bodies are 

 very convex or hunched, by both of which characters they are 

 easily distinguished from the maggots of flies. Their jaws are 

 strong and horny, and with them they gnaw those parts of 

 plants which serve for their food. It is in the grub state that 

 weevils are most injurious to vegetation. Some of them bore 

 into and spoil fruits, grain, and seeds ; some attack the leaves 

 and stems of plants, causing them to swell and become can- 

 kered; while others penetrate into the solid wood, interrupt 

 the course of the sap, and occasion the branch above the seat 

 of attack to wither and die. Most of these grubs are trans- 

 formed within the vegetable substances upon which they have 

 lived ; some, however, when fully grown, go into the gi'ound, 

 where they are changed to pupae, and afterwards to beetles. 



In the spring of the year we often find, among seed-pease, 

 many that have holes in them ; and, if the pease have not been 

 exposed to the light and aur, we see a little insect peeping out 



