10 THIRD ANNUAL REPORT 



other families of beetles by the front of the head being produced into 

 a more or less elongated snout or rostrum, at the extremity of which 

 the mouth is situated. This snout is sometimes very long and as fine 

 as a hair (genus Balaninus), and sometimes as broad as the head 

 (genus Brenthus)] but it always forms part and parcel of the head, 

 and does not articulate on it as does the snout or proboscis of the true 

 Bugs (Ilfmiptera), or the tongue of Moths and Butterflies. The other 

 chief characteristics of the family are an apparently four jointed 

 tarsus or foot (though in reality there are more generally five joints), 

 an ovoid form narrowing in front, the sides pressed by the convex ely- 

 tra or wing-covers, the antennas or feelers attached to the snout, and 

 either elbowed or straight, and composed of nine, ten, eleven or twelve 

 joints — the first of which is always long, and the terminal three gen- 

 erally united in a club or knob; and finally stout legs with swollen 

 thighs, sometimes bearing spines. 



The larvae of these snout-beetles are whitish or yellowish and 

 fleshy grubs, usually without legs or having only in the place of them 

 fleshy tubercles, which in a measure perform the functions of legs;* 

 the body is oblong, with the back generally arched but sometimes 

 straight. With these characteristics in mind, the farmer cannot fail to 

 recognize a snout-beetle when he sees one. Now there is hardly one 

 of the one hundred families that I have referred to from which so 

 many injurious species can be enumerated, for with the exception of 

 an European species (Anthribus varius) whose larva was found by 

 Katzeburg to destroy bark-lice, they are all vegetarians, the larvae 

 inhabiting either the roots, stems, leaves or fruits of plants ; and the 

 beetles feeding on the same. So whenever you find an insect with 

 the characters just given, you may rest morally certain that it is in- 

 jurious, and should be destroyed without mercy. This family is not 

 only one of the most injurious, but, on account of the secretive habits 

 of the larvae, the insects comprising it are the most difficult to con- 

 trol. When a worm is openly and above board denuding our trees, 

 we at least readily become aware of the fact, and can, if we choose, 

 apply the remedy; but when it surreptitiously, and always under 

 cover, gnaws away at the heart of our grains and fruits, we become 

 in a measure helpless to defend ourselves. But even here where the 

 enemy is so well ambushed and hidden, the proper tactics, based on 

 thorough knowledge, will frequently enable us to penetrate the de- 

 fenses and conquer the foe. 



Before leaving this subject of families, let me impress upon the 

 mind another important fact, namel} T , that the family is not peculiar 

 to any one country, and that while species vary, the family has the 

 same habits and characteristics all over the world. Thus in Europe 



::: "It is generally unqualifiedly stated by authors that Curculionid larvae are apodous ; but there 

 are exceptions to the rule, and I may cite as an example the larva of Cratoparis lunatus, Fabr., 

 which I have found in fungi, and have bred to the perfect state, and which has six conspicuous 

 thoracic legs. 



