( B75 ) 



XIV. On Bruclius-i7//6's^e(i Beans. By Theodoee Wood. 



[Read August 4tli, 1886.] 



In the ' Entomologist's Monthly Magazine ' for October, 

 1885, I published a short account of certain experiments 

 made with beans infested by Bruclms rufimanus, Boh. 

 These experiments, however, were carried out upon so 

 small a scale that I did not feel justified in drawing any 

 definite conclusions as to the true extent of the injury 

 caused by the beetle. In the spring of the present year, 

 therefore, I instituted an investigation upon a larger 

 scale, and now beg to lay before the Society the results 

 which I have obtained. 



In the first place, I may perhaps be permitted to give 

 a brief resume of my last year's experiments. These 

 were conducted with seed of a variety of broad bean 

 recently introduced by Messrs. Carter & Co., of High 

 Holborn, and entitled by them the " Leviathan," in 

 consequence of the great size often attained by the pods. 

 The packet which I received being only a small one, I 

 sowed but twenty seeds, three of which had each been 

 perforated by three weevils, five by two, and twelve by 

 one only. In about a fortnight the young plants 

 appeared, seemingly in no way injured by the damage 

 wrought to the seed. The growth for a time was strong 

 and vigorous, no sign of weakness or disease could be 

 detected, and the condition of the plants, until the time 

 for flowering arrived, was all that could be desired. 

 With the reproductive impulse, however, came a change. 

 Notwithstanding the apparent health of the plants, the 

 blossoms were few and small, the foliage rapidly withered, 

 and in several cases the plants died without producing 

 a single pod. 



The first three plants, grown from seed perforated by 

 three weevils, were very unproductive, one being alto- 

 gether barren, while the remaining two bore but three 

 pods between them, none of which attained to maturity. 

 The next five, raised from seed tenanted in each case by 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1886. PART III. (OCT.) 



