22 BEANS. [1900 



season at Hull, in a cargo transmitted by steamer from Smyrna, of 

 which Broad Beans and Peas formed a part. 



As on investigation it proved that the five species now received 

 from Smyrna were all inhabitants of localities of Syria or Western 

 Asia, as well as of the warmer parts of Europe and various of the 

 Mediterranean regions, it appeared so very possible that (in these days 

 of rapid transmission) the tltree new species might (unless attention 

 was directed to them) effect a settlement as firmly as our long- 

 established kinds, that I have endeavoured, after procuring precise 

 identifications of the species, to give descriptions and figures which 

 possibly may help consignees to recognize the new comers. 



It was on Aug. 1st of the past year that a memorandum was sent 

 me from a firm at Newark-on-Trent containing the following observa- 

 tions and enquiry : — 



" We are sending you some weevils taken from Smyrna Barley just 

 received from Hull. They are of a different kind to those hitherto 

 found by us in foreign Barleys, and we shall be glad if you will kindly 

 give us some information respecting them." 



On examining the specimens sent, it was plain that these broad- 

 made, short-snouted beetles were (as my correspondents presumed) 

 of an entirely different kind to the very observably /om/-snouted grain 

 weevils, and I, in reply, suggested that they (the Bmchi) might have 

 been transmitted in Beans or Peas. To this, four days after, my 

 correspondents replied : — 



" In confirmation of your view, we have this morning received from 

 the shipper of the Barley in Hull a letter stating that ' the Bruchus 

 must have got into our Barley from a parcel of Beans.' We are 

 writing to ask him whether he knows there was a parcel of Beans on 

 board." 



On August 10th this point was made very clear in the following 

 remarks from my enquirers at Newark-on-Trent : — 



" Since we wrote last week to you, we have ascertained that the 

 steamer in which our cargo of Barley was imported carried also a 

 consignment of Beans in the same hold, bearing out the opinion you 

 expressed." 



And on the 20th (August) they further mentioned (in reply to my 

 request for some specimens of the injured Beans) : — 



*' We have written our correspondent, and asked him to forward 

 you direct three or four dozen in the infested pulse. . . . We may 

 mention there were wild Peas in the consignment of Barley under 

 consideration, most of which were eaten." 



On September 1st I was obliged by specimens from the shippers 

 at Hull, with the note: — " We have pleasure in sending you a few 

 dozens of the Beans you require." 



