THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 13 



stance through which the beetles would not gnaw their way out. So 

 I determined last spring to build a frame over a large tree and entire- 

 ly enclose it in stout gauze, that would neither let a ilea in or out, 

 much lers a Curculio. Having accomplished this before the blossoms 

 had fallen off the tree, I awaited with pleasurable interest the result 

 from day to day, from week to week, and from month to month ; en- 

 gaging a competent person to watch, when, from necessity, I was 

 obliged to be away. It were worse than waste of time to detail here 

 the many interesting observations made on this tree which I had un- 

 der control, or to enumerate the many other experiments which I 

 conducted in other ways, or the innumerable facts obtained; and 

 it will suffice to give in a summary manner the results — premising 

 only that every precaution was taken, and no expense spared, to pre- 

 vent failure; that the experiments were satisfactory beyond my ex- 

 pectations, the results conclusive beyond all peradventure, and that 

 I can prove every statement I make. To sum up then: — The Plum 

 Curculio is single-brooded, and I have a number now alive which were 

 bred during the latter part of June from the first stung peaches. (At 

 the time the printer is ready for this Report the beetles are still alive 

 and flourishing — February 24th, 1871.) But, as there seem to be ex- 

 ceptions to all rules, so there are to this ; yet the exceptions are only 

 just about sufficient to prove the rule, for as far south as St. Louis not 

 more than one per cent, of the beetles lay any eggs at all, until they 

 have lived through one winter; or in other words, where one female 

 will pair and deposit a few eggs the same summer she was bred, 

 ninety-nine will live on for nearly ten months and not deposit till the 

 lollowing spring. In more northern latitudes I doubt if any excep- 

 tions to the rule will be found. 



As to the other mooted point, namely, whether this insect ever 

 hibernates under ground in the larva state, I am perfectly satisfied 

 ihat it never does, but that it passes the winter invariably as a beetle, 

 under all sorts of shelter in the woods; generally, however, near the sur- 

 face of the ground. Indeed, it often makes for itself a hole in the ground, 

 seldom however deep enough to more than barely cover its own body. 

 in short, there is very little to alter or modify in the established facts 

 in its natural history, which I have already published. The egg, instead 

 of being" oval," as there stated, would be better described as " ob- 

 long-oval," measuring exactly 0.03 inch in length, and being nearly 

 \ hree times as long as wide. It should also be remarked here, that 

 when depositing the eggs in apples, the female often neglects the 

 usual symbol of Mohammedanism, which she so invariably inscribes 

 uon stone fruit; and that where this mark is made on apples, it more 

 easily becomes obliterated. 



During their beetle life, these insects feed continually, just as 

 long as the weather is mild enough to make them active. While fruit 

 lasts, they gouge holes in it, and after peaches have gone, apples are 



