60 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 



In almost all the different seeds we find very small mag- 

 gots, which are afterward metamorphosed into Coleopterous 

 Insects, and are on that account called Seed Beetles. These 

 animals, like the ones we have just described, have a pro- 

 longed snout, but comparatively much shorter, and a very 

 short body. 



The most destructive among them is the PEA-WEEVIL 

 (Bruchus Pisi), famous in Europe, but much more common 

 in America, the larvce of which live in peas. The Beetle 

 itself is about the size of a bed-bug ; round, flat on the up- 

 per surface, of a dark-brown color, with white spots upon 

 the thorax and wing-covers. 



When the peas are in blossom and begin to have pods, 

 the females deposit their eggs upon them, and we find, 

 therefore, a very small maggot in almost every green pea, 

 the existence of which can only be perceived by a small 

 black dot upon it. In almost every seed-pea, also, we find 

 a perfect Beetle, or at least an aperture from which it has 

 already crawled out. 



Now as this is a fact of the truth of which every one 

 can convince himself, it is safe to assert that in eating 

 green peas we at the same time eat almost the same num- 

 ber of maggots. If, therefore, we are disposed to be dis- 

 gusted with the Palm-worm eaters, we would do well to 

 remember that we practice the same thing in the case of the 

 Pea-weevil. 



In some parts of Europe they put their seed-peas into 

 hot water before planting, for the purpose of killing these 

 Beetles ; and several of our scientific American Horticultur- 

 ists, according to Dr. Harris, advise to keep seed-peas in air- 

 tight vessels over one year before planting them, or at least 

 not to plant them before the end of May. 



The cultivation of peas is an extensive branch of agri- 

 culture in the Old Country, because dry peas, well pre- 

 pared, are the usual favorite dish of the farming and opcr- 



