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Sit Orn tintis, GRANARKIUS, 
By H. A. Ornmerop, F.M.S. 
We all know the Sttophilus granarius as one of our most 
destructive granary insects when left to pursue its ravages 
unchecked. Its rapid increase, and the total destruction of one 
grain of corn for each one of the myriads of granary weevils 
brought to maturity, make it a powerful enemy, but at the same 
time the effect of temperature on its powers of propagation acts 
as a check on its geographical distribution. The degree of 
warmth below which it will not breed, and its general history, 
have been given by various writers (see ‘Farm Insects,’ by 
J. Curtis, p. 324), but we have not yet the history of its near ally 
the Sitophilus oryze, or rice weevil, as known in this country. 
Curtis mentions it as found in wheat from Ancona, and also in 
imported East Indian wheat, but did not trace out its history 
completely; and the probable effect of temperature on its rate of 
increase as well as on that of the Sitophilus granarius (our 
common ‘granary weevil’) make it desirable to trace its life- 
history out in our own country, in addition to such notes of its 
habits as we possess from observers in the warmer continental 
climates. 
During the last year (beginning at the 5th of September, 1877), 
I have had some opportunity of watching its habits as far as can 
be managed with a moderate supply both of weevils and of corn. 
Probably this comparative state of isolation does not give quite 
the same results that would follow study of the habits of the 
beetles in the great masses of corn in which they are usually to 
be found (in the case of Curtis’s experiments on the S. granarius 
he was unable to rear it satisfactorily in small numbers), but still 
T had fair success, and found the increase of the S. oryze to go 
on slowly and apparently with even more dependence on genial 
surroundings than that of the S. granarius. In general 
appearance and in size the two weevils are very similar, but the 
rice weevil is easily distinguishable by the two orange-coloured 
patches on each elytron, and also by the possession of wings, 
from the uniformly-tinted granary weevil, wingless in this 
country. 
On the 5th September of last year (1877), I received from 
