90 INSECTS. 



of fruit-trees, another the bark, another the roots. Some 

 destroy the young huds, whether of leaves or flowers, 

 while others gnaw their way into and deposit their eggs 

 within the setting fruit, which is to remain suspended till 

 the time of transformation, when "down will come cradle 

 and baby and all," and the grub, after remaining for a 

 time sheltered in the earth, will return to the daylight in a 

 perfect state. Acorns, nuts, young plums, are easy to 

 find with the little weevil grubs enclosed while the 

 sheller of peas will bear willing testimony to their atten- 

 tions to that part of creation. Some roll up leaves, which 

 they have previously nearly severed from the tree, and 

 deposit their eggs therein ; others lay them in the ground 

 " convanient" to the roots which are to form the food of 

 the young when hatched. The young of the grain-weevil 

 is found so entirely enclosed within the grain, which 

 bears no mark of its entrance, ns to make it seem probable 

 that the egg was laid in the flower and continued to live 

 inside the grain, without, for a time, checking its increase 

 in size. 



The pointed snout of the weevil is a powerful instru- 

 ment, which the little owner well knows how to turn to 

 account. A wood-boring species has been observed in 

 the act of boring a hole in the wood by placing its snout 

 against the part to be bored, and then turning its body 

 round and round, in gimlet fashion, till the work was 

 achieved. 



The common pea-weevil, Bruchus granarius, is a 

 small beetle, black above, grey beneath, and with grey 

 legs. The antennee are straight, and the palpi thread- 

 like. The wing-cases are a little shorter than the abdo- 

 men. In Calandra granaria the corn-weevil the 

 antenna? are elbowed and the palpi conical. The .insect 



