GRANARY WEEVILS: 8S. GRANARIUS AND S. ORYZA. 49 
remarkably long-lived. Amongst some maize taken in 1876 
affected with S. granarius, and in which I believe it has not bred, 
I have a quantity of specimens still (Nov. 1878) alive. It seems 
to breed very sparingly in this country, for when in want of a 
larva or pupa I have opened some hundreds of kernels from my 
stores without finding one. 
As has been said, the Calandra is not indigenous, but through 
the agency of commerce—the importation of foreign corn—it has 
now become partially naturalised; but commerce, like agricul- 
ture, carries its own remedy against insect attack. Primitive 
commerce establishes the favourable conditions for the increase 
by supplying the requisite food and shelter almost in continuity. 
Primitive agriculture establishes favourable conditions by the 
increased supply of food through certain plants being brought 
into cultivation; hence the domestication, so to speak, of the 
natural limiter. Butimproved agriculture, by perfect tillage and 
cleanliness, establishes such rapid and perfect growth that the 
limiter loses its influence; so improved appliances in commerce 
will again protect the product against its natural foes. 
The Calandra was encouraged by the necessary conditions to 
its existence being always present. In the granaries, always corn 
in some corner ; in the means of transport, still food enough left 
to enable some to obey the high command to increase and 
multiply. Extended commerce necessitated a variety of materials 
and products for storage and transport, this to prevent mixing 
engendered cleanliness, and broke the chain of continuous 
favourable conditions; acting as the rotation of crops in agricul- 
ture. Then again commercial appliances with quicker and 
improved transport were greatly adverse to their increase. 
Although it is probable that, while we continue to import corn, 
we shall always suffer from weevil attack, the extent of damage 
will continue to decrease in proportion to the increase in facility 
of export and general improvement in commercial buildings and 
granary appliances. Old rough raftered partitions in warehouses 
and mills—the home of many noxious insects—are doomed ; after 
their disappearance the spiders’ work will not be required. 
Many are the impracticable remedies which have been 
proposed for weevil limitation, but little can be expected from 
the use of specifics such as turpentine, benzine, and the lke, or 
of various chemical preparations or “insect killers”” Cleanliness 
: H 
