RA YAGERS OF CROPS 263 



seasons are responsible for most serious loss, 

 not only to the farmer, but also to the fruit 

 grower and market gardener, are the Weevils. 

 They are a large and important family of insects, 

 of which some five hundred and thirty species 

 are to be found in Great Britain; their Latin 

 name of Rhynchophora describes one of the 

 chief characteristics of their appearance really 

 better than their popular name of Weevil, for it 

 means " snout-bearing," and refers to the curious 

 beak or snout-like proboscis, which is a cha- 

 racteristic of all the Weevil tribe. In different 

 species this snout is variously modified, so that 

 in some it is long and slender, while in others 

 it may be short and stout, varying according to 

 the natural habits of the particular species. The 

 antennae are generally sharply elbowed, and 

 spring from the sides of the snout, thus giving 

 the beetle a very curious appearance. Our 

 British Weevils are for the most part compara- 

 tively minute creatures, only the giants attaining 

 a length of an inch or a little more; many of 

 them are so minute as to require a magnifying- 

 glass to make out clearly their characteristic 

 markings, etc., but individual lack of size and 

 strength is made up for in numbers, the Weevils 

 multiplying with the most astonishing rapidity. 

 The Clay-coloured Weevil (Otiorhynchus picipes\ 

 the Black Vine Weevil (O. sulcatus), and the Red- 

 legged Weevil (O. tenebricosus) are all particular 

 foes of the fruit grower, attacking the apple, 

 plum, raspberry, vine, peach, gooseberry, and 

 strawberry, and are responsible for the injury, 

 if not the total destruction, of a very heavy 



