TURNIP-WEEVIL. 105 



deprive us of both animal and vegetable food. This cater- 

 pillar eats almost everything. Well! of all caterpillars 

 this has the most insect-enemies, or parasites, so many, in- 

 deed, that not more than one egg out of fifty thousand 

 produces a moth ; thus its voracity and its productiveness 

 are rendered harmless. You will laugh when I tell you 

 that I breed lady-birds purposely to destroy plant-lice ; but 

 that is really the case, and it answers capitally. The nig- 

 gers have many natural enemies besides ducks ; some of 

 these enemies I have found out. Frogs and toads prefer 

 them to almost all other food, and will gorge themselves 

 to such an extent that they can hardly leap or hop : then 

 there is a hairy, disagreeable-looking fly, which rides on 

 the nigger till it can lay an egg on its back. This egg in 

 one day becomes a maggot, eats into the flesh of the nig- 

 ger, and going with it into the ground, it allows the nigger 

 to make its cocoon, then eats up all its entrails, leaving it 

 a mere skin, and within this nigger-skin it changes to a 

 chrysalis, and finally to a fly. But it would be difficult to 

 find enough frogs or toads or flies to effect a cure : ducks, 

 therefore, are the best remedy, except, indeed, that I fear 

 the demand for ducks would be greater than the supply ; 

 but a farmer, especially if he has water, ought to keep an 

 immensity of ducks ; they are always useful, and eat up 

 lots of slugs and other vermin : moreover, they never 

 scratch, like fowls, and are always saleable at a paying 

 price. 



The turnip has three other insect enemies : the worst of 

 these is a weevil, a little, black beetle, with a trident, like 

 that of the apple-weevil, but the operations of the TURNIP- 

 WEEVIL are quite on a different plan : the eggs of this 

 little fellow are laid on that part of the bulb of the turnip 



