Ootober, 'llj CUSHMAX: BIOLOGY OF BOLL WEEVIL 435 



using the position of these as a guide to the distance through which 

 she should search. Faihng to locate the puncture in this way, she 

 again turns around and searches for it with her beak and antennae. 

 If still unsuccessful she abandons the search and makes a new puncture. 

 Several weevils were watched during the act of oviposition and the 

 various portions of the process carefully timed. The time required 

 for making the puncture varied from 1 min. 20 sees, to 8 mins. 27 

 sees., with an average of 3 mins. 36 sees. In but two cases did the 

 weevil fail to locate the puncture with the ovipositor immediately. 

 In one case the weevil found it after 1 min. 15 sees., and in the other 

 after several minutes search the weevil abandoned it and started a new 

 puncture. For the deposition of the egg and the seahng of the punc- 

 ture the time required varied from 35 sees, to 1 min. 40 sees., with an 

 average of 59 sees. The total time for the whole process varied 

 from 2 min. 45 sees, to 9 mins. 30 sees., with an average of 4 mins. 41 

 sees. Exclusive of the time lost in hunting for the puncture, one of 

 the weevils accomplished the act in 1 min. 55 sees. 



Periodic Division of Daily Oviposition 



For observations on this point the day was divided into five periods 

 as follows: early morning, from daylight to 9.00 a. m.; late morning, 

 9.00 a. m. to 1.00 p. m.; early afternoon, 1.00 p. m. to 5.00 p. m.; late 

 afternoon, 5.00 p. m. to dark; and night, dark to daylight. At the 

 time the observations were made, from 5.00 p. m. July 20 to 5.00 p. m. 

 July 22, daylight occurred at about 4.00 a. m. and dark at about 7.30 

 p. m. The two days were partly cloudy but bright and the two nights 

 clear and moonlight. During the entire time the weevils were kept 

 in large tubes on covered porches, during the day at the laboratory 

 and during the night at the observer's home. At the end of each 

 period all of the squares were removed and fresh ones supphed. All 

 infested squares were opened to verify the fact of oviposition. The 

 first generation weevils, 1. a-k (exclusive of 1. h), ten in number, were 

 used. Weevil 1. b was ehminated from the results, as it deposited 

 only one egg during the two days. 



The figures obtained show that of the nine weevils six deposited 

 eggs during the night period. On the first day the four daylight 

 periods ranked in hourly oviposition as follows: late afternoon, early 

 afternoon, early morning, and late morning, the weevils being much 

 more active in the latter half of the day. On the second day the pref- 

 erence for the afternoon is again shown, but these two periods are 

 reversed in order, as are also the two morning periods. The total 

 results, obtained by adding the two days oviposition, are given in 

 Table I. This table shows that, although there was a decidedly 



