106 SHARP EYES 



tie compressing it with its legs. A tiny yellow egg ir>. 

 then deposited at the extreme tip, and the weevil, 

 standing sideways, and holding firmly to the leaf with 

 its upper feet, passes its three lower legs beneath, and 

 starts the fold, the roll being thus carried to the sum, 

 mit, the insect alternately taking a fresh grip farther 

 up the leaf with each successive pull. Upon reaching 

 the top, a loose cut edge of the leaf is turned backward 

 to overlap the last fold of the coil, and thus serves to 

 hold it in place. Without this deft touch the coil 

 would unroll. The bundle soon bakes brown in the 

 hot sun, and shortly falls to the ground. The tiny egg 

 subsequently hatches into a minute grub, which feeds 

 upon the dried interior, and at length, the following 

 spring, emerges a perfect beetle. 



I have seen the ground beneath the alder bushes 

 strewn thickly with the little packets, hundreds of them 

 in a small space ; and, considering the industry and 

 number of the package clerks, it is singular that I could 

 have waited so long to discover them ; but this is ex- 

 plained in a sly trait of the beetle, which cuddles up its 

 legs and drops to the ground on your approach, unless 

 you are very wary. 



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