740 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



depends upon the healthy growth of its leading shoot for a long succession of years. 

 If this leading shoot is destroyed the onward growth of the tree is checked until 

 one of the lateral shoots starts upward and becomes the leading shoot. But this 

 causes a crook in the body of the tree at the place where this latter shoot originally 

 arose, aud thus the main value of the tree is destroyed. And it would appear to be 

 a spirit of pure malevolence that instigates the white-pine weevil to select the lead- 

 ing shoot of this tree in which to deposit its eggs, when its young can be nourished 

 equally well in the lateral shoots, where they would do little injury, or perhaps 

 would be a direct benefit to the tree by cutting off the ends of the branches, and 

 thus promoting the upward growth of the main trunk. 



The tree that is attacked continues its growth upward during the fore part of the 

 season as usual, sending out from the summit of the shoot that is infested a leading 

 shoot, with a uumber of lateral branches around its base. But the growth of these 

 new succulent twigs is arrested, and they begin to wilt and wither about the middle 

 of July, the worms having by this time become so large and mined and wounded the 

 stalk below to such an extent that its juices are exhausted, aud it fails to transmit 

 any nourishment to these tender green shoots at the summit, which consequently dry 

 up and perish. 



If the affected shoot be now examined, little oval cells about 0.30 long, placed 

 lengthwise of the stalk, will be discovered all along its center, so close in some places 

 that their ends are in contact, and in other places more or less widely separated, 

 with the intervening space stuffed with sawdust, whilst here and there in the wood 

 on each side of the pith similar cells show themselves. In each of these cavities lies 

 a white glos y worm, its body soft, plump, and curved into an arch, 0.30 long, and 

 not quite a third as broad at its anterior part where it is broailest. 



This larva is divided by transverse constrictions into thirteen segments, including 

 the head, with the breathing pores forming a row of small round tawny yellow dots 

 along each side. Its head is about half the width of the body, round, flattened, pol- 

 ished and horn like, tawny yellow, with an impressed line along its middle, a faint 

 whitish line on each side parallel with this, aud a more distinct transverse arched 

 white line anteriorly, and a minute black dot on each side representing the eye ; the 

 mouth darker colored, with the points of the mandibles slightly projecting, these 

 organs being black, triangular, and with exceedingly minute sharp teeth along their 

 inner edge. The neck has two smooth pale tawny-yellow spots above. It has no 

 feet, but their places are supplied by roundish elevations of the skin on the under 

 side of the three segments next to the head. The surface shows a few very fine short 

 hairs, particularly on the ends. 



These larviB change to pupae aud to perfect insects in their cells, the latter coming 

 abroad mostly early in the spring. The short description at the commencement of 

 this account will suffice to distinguish this weevil from all our other species. It varies 

 in its length from 0.20 to 0.30. Dr. Harris thinks they are more than a year in 

 obtaining their growth, but I am quite confident the eggs deposited in the spring 

 become mature beetles by the following spring or earlier. 



In midsummer, as soon as the shoot in which these insects are nestling becomes with- 

 ered and dry, the thin bark covering it is commonly seen to be broken and peeled oft' 

 in spots, or all its lower part is torn away, and newly perforated holes, larger than the 

 mouthsof the burrows of this insect, maybe observed hereand there in the wood. This 

 is the work of small birds, which are very efficient and serviceable in ferreting out 

 and devouring the larvic aud pupae of this weevil. And, in addition to these, it has 

 several insect enemies which aid in restraining it from becoming excessively numer- 

 ous. But notwithstanding the great inroads which are hereby made upon its ranks, 

 this is quite a common insect in every part of our State and country where the pine 

 abounds, deforming these valuable trees and retarding their growth. The proprietor 

 of every grove of young pines should therefore make it a rule to examine them every 

 year, in August or September, and cut or break off the to^i of every tree that is 



