ATTACKING THE FRUIT. 301 



and, burying itself in the soil, changes to a pupa, from which 

 the beetle escapes late in August or early in September. 



This is not a common insect, nor is it very generally 

 distributed, and the injury supposed to be done by it to 

 the fruit is often more correctly chargeable to the species last 

 referred to, since that is a much commoner insect. The 

 grape curculio has been observed chiefly in the valley of the 

 Mississippi, but is rarely injurious to any considerable extent 

 or over any large area. Where it is troublesome, the vines 

 may be jarred occasionally during the month of June, placing 

 a sheet or an inverted umbrella under them, when the beetles 

 will fall, and can then be gathered and destroyed, as in the 

 case of the plum curculio. 



No. 173. The Honey Bee. 



Apis mellifica Linn. 



This useful insect, so valuable to man, is said to have the 

 pernicious habit of puncturing or abrading the skin of the 

 grape and extracting its juices. That the injury thus done is 

 entirely due to the agency of bees has been disputed, some 

 bee-lovers claiming that the grapes are first punctured by 

 birds or bitten by wasps and hornets, and that the bees follow 

 and promptly avail themselves of the store of sweets thus laid 

 open for their use. The evidence, however, on the whole, 

 seems rather strong against the bees, and there is little doubt 

 that they frequently do abrade the skin of the fruit with their 

 claws and afterwards extract the sweets with their brush-like 

 tongue. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LIST OF INJUBIOUS INSECTS WHICH 

 AFFECT THE GEAPE, 



ATTACKING THE CANES. 



The apple-twig borer, No. 13, the tree cricket, No. 178, 



