224 THE MICROSCOPICAL NEWS. 
perfect insects are found upon plants, appearing during the period 
of flowering, and depositing their eggs in the small and yet tender 
seeds of the luguminous plants, as well as in various kinds of corn, 
palms, &c. In these seeds the larva finds not only a secure 
habitation, but also a plentiful supply of food; and in which it 
subsequently undergoes its transformation until its arrival at the 
perfect state, when it makes its escape by gnawing a small round 
hole through the rind of the seed, the larva having previously eaten 
its way to the inner surface of the seed, so that a thin pellicle 
alone remains ; through which the larva makes a circular incision, 
having only a very thin pellicle in that part, through which the 
imago easily forces itself. One of these insects, Brachus pist, 
causes much injury to the edible pea by eating the interior of the 
seed, and making its escape when the peas are just ready for 
gathering. This insect, which is probably an imported species 
in this country, occasionally abounds to such an extent in some 
parts of North America, as to cause the total destruction of the 
crops of peas, &c. 
“Bruchus granarius is also in this country often very destructive 
to the same vegetable, sometimes depositing an egg in every pea in 
a pod. In general, the insect remains in the larval state until the 
following spring, but if the weather be very warm, the perfect in- 
sect appears in the preceding autumn; the larva has the curious 
instinct to leave the most vital parts of the seed until the last. The 
larva (Germar) is a soft white and fleshy grub, with a scaly head, 
and stout strong jaws, with the legs obsolete or but slightly 
developed. They have nine spiracles on each side of the body.” 
Of this family there are upwards of 300 species, the body of 
rujimanus is covered with black downy hairs mottled with white, 
the legs and antenne are of a bright orange colour, and the head 
is folded underneath the breast. 
Usually the perforations in the grain indicate that the creature 
has bored its way out; but when not suspected of being therein, 
there being no outward signs, on splitting open the bean, the in- 
sect may be found coiled up either dead or alive; and if the 
weather is very warm at the time (if alive when released from bond- 
age), it has been noticed to stretch its untried pinions and fly away. 
Is there any other creature, except perhaps the frog, which can 
live apparently without air or light for so long a time? 
Notwithstanding the efforts of millers to eliminate all foreign 
matter from wheat by the employment of the most modern 
machinery, their ingenuity cannot entirely prevent Weevils being 
ground up in the flour. 
In the transactions of the Entomological Society I find the 
opinion of a medical man to be that he considers the wings and 
crustaceous part of insects so heating to the system as to be almost 
