68 THIRD ANNUAL REPORT OF 



that the Plum Curculio does not so breed in pear twigs, and it is very- 

 evident that what Dr. Fitch took to be Plum Curculio larvae in such a 

 twig, were the young of some other insect, or perhaps even the eggs 

 of some leaf-hopper (Tettigonia), which are generally placed in the 

 position described by him. But, though this first error of Dr. Fitch's 

 has been explained away, the second never has till now, when we may 

 assume, with great reason, that the larvae which misled the Doctor, 

 and which were found in haws in winter time, were in reality the 

 larvae of our Quince Curculio. How easily are fallacies exploded, 

 and errors corrected, even years after they are committed, by a few 

 well tested facts ! 



The two former Curculios which we have been considering have 

 a beetle existence of between nine and ten months, during most of 

 which time, or as long as the weather is sufficiently mild, they feed in 

 the manner described. The present species has a beetle existence of 

 not more than two months, and as though aware of the short term 

 allotted to it for enjoyment, it endeavors to make the best use of its 

 time. Consequently we find it more ravenous than either of the 

 other species, and it is really astonishing how much this insect eats. 

 It excavates immense holes for food, often burying itself in them com- 

 pletely, and I have known apples furnished to these beetles in con- 

 finement, to have their substances so completely devoured that noth- 

 ing but the rind was left. Two years ago last fall there was scarcely 

 a quince that came into the St. Louis market that was not marred by 

 numbers of large gougings, and though I was then inclined to attrib- 

 ute such holes to the gnawings of grasshoppers, I feel pretty well 

 convinced at present that the work might with more justice have 

 been attributed to this Quince Curculio. 



The question will naturally arise, since this insect breeds in the 

 Haw, the Quince and the Pear, whether it will also breed in the 

 closely allied Apple ? So far as my experiments go, they indicate 

 clearly that it will not; tor although the beetle will eat and greatly 

 disfigure apples, when no other nourishment is at hand, yet a number 

 which I confined to a large branch of an apple tree on the 14th of 

 June last, absolutely refused to deposit eggs, and died three weeks 

 afterwards. 



REMEDIES. 



Very fortunately this insect drops as readily when alarmed as 

 does the Plum Curculio, and the jarring process will be found just as 

 effectual in catching it, with the additional advantage that the jar- 

 ring need only be carried on for about ten weeks of the year, namely, 

 from about the first of June to the middle of August in this latitude. 

 Moreover, in accordance with its late appearance, we find that, 

 according to Dr. Trimble, whenever it attacks pears, it prefers the 

 late ripening varieties. Again, it is, like the Plum Curculio, nocturnal- 



