23 



For exam])le, 1 have myself bred almost a hundred different species 

 belonging to the great Chalcis famil_y (Order Hyinenoptera) , which [ 

 know to be parasites ; and hundreds of others peculiar to Europe have 

 been ascertained by European entomologists to be also parasitical in 

 their habits. Hence it was supposed formerly that all Chalcis flies 

 without exception were parasites. But there is now no doubt that, 

 as Dr. Fitch asserted long ago, the true author' of what is known as 

 "joint- worm"' in Virginia wheat and in ]\[assachusetts and Xew York 

 barley is a veritable Chalcis fly. So that in reality, although the 

 great Chalcis family is almost universally carnivorous in its habits, 

 it yet contains at least one species which feeds exclusively upon living 

 vegel able matter. 



To return to the Grape Curculio. The practical question still 

 remains to be discussed, "How are we to get rid' of it ?'' I think that, 

 beyond all question, the mother-beetle, if carefully looked for, will be 

 found laying her eggs in the young grapes some time in June. From 

 the accurate figure given herewith, and from what has been already 

 said, the species may, I think, be recognized with ease by the vine- 

 yardist ; though, after it has fallen to the ground, it will hide its beak 

 in the groove along its breast expressly provided by nature to receive 

 that very organ, and fold up its legs so close to its body, that it looks 

 exactly like a round, black seed. In this position, as it "plays 'pos- 

 sum" and shams dead for a minute or two after it has fallen, it would 

 never be suspected of being a living animal by the unwarned and in- 

 experienced. The. Grape Curculio should therefore, in localities where 

 its evil works have been already noticed in preceding years, be watched 

 for in June; and as soon as it appears, shaken off the vines upon a 

 white cloth, or — what will be found perhaps still more convenient — • 

 into something like an inverted umbrella, lined with white cloth, but 

 modified in shape so as to suit the mode of training the vines whicii 

 may in each case be practised. The least touch will fetch them off 

 the vines; for this whole group of roundish Snout-beetles (genus 

 Ceuthorhynchus and its allies) drop to the earth when alarmed more 

 readily even than the Plum Curculio. Indeed, I have repeatedly ob- 

 served that they will often drop as soon as they see you looking at 

 them, although the plant on Avhich they are sitting be not touched 

 at all. 



The Grape-grower will perhaps exclaim that the woods must be 

 full of this Grape Curculio, and that it will he no use killing a few 

 scores of them off his grapevines, because myriads of others will fly in 

 upon him from the forest. I can assure him that this is not so. The 

 Grape Curculio is comparatively a rare insect, though, like many other 



