128 TURNIP. 
had only made a small progress into it with its little brown jaw-. In 
another instance the beetle-grub had its head by the remains of the 
skin of a seed, and in another the larva was eating so diligently that 
it was not disturbed on the pod being opened; and in this instance 
also the maggot was lying together with the wet green rejectamenta. 
When the two attacks were thus under observation together, the 
very distinct methods by which the seed in the pods was ruined, or the 
contents devoured, was very striking. In the case of the Cecid maggots 
their suction of the unripe seeds destroys them before the time of 
ripening, and I found many of the seeds shrunk and sunk in, especially 
at one part of the surface—in fact, blighted and aborted in growth ; 
whilst in the case of the weevil maggots, I found them, as noticed 
above, in the act of clearing out the contents of the seeds, and so busy 
at their work as not always to be disturbed from it on the pod being 
meddled with. I also found the dividmg membrane down the middle 
of the pod gnawed into holes, and in one pod as many as five of the 
still remaining seeds were gnawed by the weevil maggots. - 
In the account of his own observations given by John Curtis in his 
‘Farm Insects’ (p. 105), he particularly notices this not being mere 
injury, but consumption of the seeds by the weevil maggots. He men- 
tions :—‘‘ Three pods were forwarded to me, each being punctured, 
and on opening them I found only one seed untouched, and two that 
were but slightly eroded; others were half-consumed, and many 
entirely eaten up; a hard gummy substance of a dark colour enclosing 
the spots occupied by the maggots, which might be the dung com- 
pressed by the animal.’’ As Curtis’s specimens were obviously in a 
later condition than mine, it seems evident that this gummy substance 
was the dried state of the wet green matter which I noticed was being 
excreted where the weevil maggot was then feeding. 
The maggots are of the shape figured at p. 126, fleshy, legless, 
much wrinkled across, and yellowish white in colour, with pale brown 
heads. These larve fall to the ground on premature opening of the 
infested pods, and bury themselves in the ground, where they are 
stated to form an earth cocoon for their change of condition, from 
which the little weevils may be expected to begin to appear in about 
three weeks, 
In the case of my own specimens from pods received on July 5th, 
I found, on examining the collection on Aug. 3rd, that there were a 
good many of the little weevil beetles already developed, perhaps 
about six or eight, but their great activity made it difficult to take 
observations whilst they were alive. If allowed to pause (as on the 
edge of their jar) they would without delay expand their wings and fly 
away, and whilst in captivity would run, if undisturbed, with great 
nimbleness, or, if disturbed, would immediately drop down. 
