106 



BEETLES. 



themselves. There may have been hundreds a minute 

 before, but you will very likely not see one ; but beat 

 the ground with a spade and you will most likely see 

 them all struggling up out of the earth again. More 

 recently, however, observations have shown that they 

 may be found at night working at the edges of the 

 leaves, and then it is stated they are not nearly so. 

 susceptible of alarm. 



Up to the year 1882 nothing was known as to the 



Fig. 84. — Pea and Bean Weevils, nat. size and magnified; 1,2, 

 Sitones crinitiis ; 3, 4, S. lineatits, nat. size and magnified. 



early history of these Sitones, but in that year (from 

 different field observations) it was found that they 

 lived in maggot state on the roots of the plants of' 

 which the Beetles devour the leafage, and that they 

 went into pupa at the roots. These observations, 

 made by Mr. Christy in Essex, and Mr. Thos. Hart 

 in Kent, may be well pointed to as examples of the 

 great benefit accruing from field observations of agri- 

 culturists, instead of simply trusting to instruction 

 to be gained from lectures or so-called " scientific " 

 instruction ! All true teaching is good, but it should 

 never be forgotten that what is called scientific 

 teaching, in agricultural matters, is the recorded result 

 of observation, or of deductions from observations. 

 The practical observation of to-day, when it has beeri' 



