INSECTS AND PLANTS 47 



adults are light yellowish brown, and the smaller ones are 

 much darker in colour, whilst weevils that have hiber- 

 nated are darkest of all. 



This, in short, is the life-cycle of the weevil, but, before 

 dealing with the exploits of this pernicious pest in the 

 cotton-fields, it may be of interest to describe the process 

 of oviposition in the words of the actual observers, Messrs 

 Hunter and Pierce. They say that, "while engaged in 

 making egg punctures the favourite position of the weevil 

 is with its body parallel to the long axis of the square and 

 its head towards the base. The tip of the weevil's body is 

 thus brought near the apex of a medium-sized square. It 

 may be that the position described is especially favourable 

 for obtaining a firm and even hold, and this may have some- 

 thing to do with the regularity with which it is assumed. 

 Having selected their location, the female takes a firm hold 

 upon the sides of the square and completes her puncture 

 while in this position. The female begins drilling a hole 

 by removing with the mandibles a little flake of the outer 

 epidermis. Then, with her feet strongly braced by gnaw- 

 ing and pushing with an auger-like motion, she thrusts her 

 back into the tender portion of the square. At the bottom 

 of the puncture she makes a small cavity by gnawing, at 

 the same time moving about the hole with the beak as a 

 pivot (fig. 5). Withdrawing her beak, she turns about 

 with the centre of her body as a pivot. This places the tip 

 of her abdomen directly over the puncture, into which she 

 thrusts her ovipositor. The ovipositor is protruded to the 

 bottom of the cavity, in which it appears to be firmly held 

 in position by the two terminal papilla} and the enlarged 

 terminal portion. Slight contractions of the abdomen occur 

 while this insertion is being made. In a few moments 

 much stronger contractions may be seen, and often a firmer 

 hold is taken with the hind legs as the egg is passed from 

 the body, and its movements may be seen as it is forced 

 along within the ovipositor down into the puncture. Only 



