RHYNCHOPHORA. 177 



table feeders; and, although comparatively harmless in 

 their perfect state, there is not one part of any tree or 

 plant, or its product, that their larvae do not attack. 



These larvae, of which the grub of the nut-weevil 

 (Balaninus nucum), so often found in filberts, etc., is a 

 good type, are fat, fleshy, and cylindrical ; slightly at- 

 tenuated in front and recurved behind, with a round 

 horny head, and no legs, which are represented by tu- 

 bercles or callosities set with short bristles. Although 

 usually adhering to one particular plant (whether at 

 tacking its leaves, flowers, shoots, roots, bark, fruit, 01 

 timber), they are sometimes promiscuous feeders; and 

 many (as the nut-weevil), on becoming full-grown, drop 

 to the earth, in which they undergo their final changes, 

 whilst others remain attached to the plant, etc., on or 

 in which they have hitherto existed, usually forming a 

 cocoon. 



The aforesaid nut-weevil (but only in its larval stage), 

 and the corn- weevil, Sitophilus granarim (most probably 

 an imported insect), of the British species, and the 

 splendid exotic " Diamond Beetle," Entimus imperialis, 

 so often employed as an object for the microscope, are, 

 perhaps, the most generally known members of this section. 



Our Rhynchophora may be considered as divided into 

 seventeen families; the Bruchidce, Anthribid, Attela- 

 bida, Rhinomaceridce, Apionida (forming the Orthoceri 

 above-mentioned, the remainder being Gonatoceri), Bra- 

 chyderida, Cleonida, Molytidce, Byrsopsidte, Otiorhyn- 

 chidce (the group Brachyrhynchi), Erirhimd&,Baridiad< y 

 Cryptorhynchida, Cionida, Calandridte, Cossonidae (the 

 group Mecorhynchi] , and Hylesinida, which we will notice 

 in their order. 



The BRUCHID^E, apart from the above-mentioned divi- 



N 



