C U R C U L I O N I D JE. 



in the tropical species, operates also in producing 1 a 

 much greater extent in the number of species. This 

 cause is found in the nature of the vegetation of those 

 regions where, from its continued growth and vast 

 luxuriance, the herbivorous insects are more nume- 

 rously called into existence to support the regular 

 operations of nature. 



Many of these insects are also singularly formed, 

 and of very varied colours ; the latter character is, 

 however, of a transient nature, depending on the 

 presence of minute scales or powder, with which the 

 body is covered. Of these, very common examples 

 may be observed in the splendid little green species 

 found so abundantly in the spring on the nettles. 

 The slightest touch, however, removes these beautiful 

 ornaments ; so that, unless the entomologist secures 

 them soon after their appearance in their beetle form, 

 all their beauty will have vanished. Hence it has 

 been fancifully said that the curculionidae are the 

 lepidoptera of scale- winged insects. Like the lepi- 

 doptera, also, their rostrum is tubular, elongated, 

 and capable of being placed in a groove or cavity for 

 its reception on the underside of the front of the 

 body. The larvue of both also feed on vegetables, 

 and these larva; in both are of a totally different form 

 from that of the perfect insects, so that we may regard 

 this as an instance of one of those curious rules which 

 .seem to exist throughout the animated kingdom, 

 which Latreille thus stated more than thirty years 

 ago : " Nature, in general, has a certain number of 

 models which she re-exhibits (' reproduit '), with 

 certain modifications, in all the classes, and even in 

 the different orders of beings." This principle, which 

 some of our leading naturalists of the present day 

 have held forth, at very great length, as a novel idea, 

 is certainly an interesting mode of viewing nature, 

 even should we not feel inclined to regard it as 

 entitled to so much weight in regulating our classifi- 

 cations of the animal kingdom as some of these 

 authors have been induced to give to it. We will, 

 however, defer to some more convenient opportunity 

 our observations upon the nature of those affinities 

 and analogies which unquestionably exist throughout 

 nature. 



In their habits, the curculionids exhibit all the 

 symptoms of natural weakness. Of all beetles, 

 tney are provided with the least available means oi 

 defence, and are consequently the most fearful, 

 avoiding both the light and noise ; even the diurnal 

 species are generally to be seen in a state ol 

 inactivity, their colours, resembling those of the 

 substances upon which they are often found, also 

 favouring their security. Unlike the majority oi 

 insects, if they are attempted to be seized, instead ol 

 Unfolding their wings and -lying away, they merely 

 fold up their legs and antennas, counterfeiting death, 

 and falling to the ground. A few of the smallest 

 species (forming the genus Orchcstcs) are more active, 

 the large size of their hind legs enabling them to 

 escape, by leaping to a very considerable distance, 

 in a manner similar to that of the turnip beetle, and 

 other species of the genus Haltica. 



It is not often that these insects make use of their 

 wings ; indeed, many of the species are destitute oi 

 these organs, their wing-covers being in such cases 

 soldered together. They also creep but slowly, but 

 the underside of their tarsi is furnished with a kind oi 

 cushion, enabling them to retain their hold upon 

 different objects in all positions. 



It is in the larva state that the curculionidse arc the 



most obnoxious to mankind ; in the perfect state tney 

 an take but little food, and their chief care is, then, 

 the propagation of their race. Their larvce, like those 

 of the Ccrambi/cidcc, are fleshy, with their legs rudi- 

 mental, or entirely wanting ; but those of the Cur- 

 culwrndcc have the body more or less eylindric, with 

 the extremities somewhat narrowed, so as slightly to 

 resemble a spindle. The head is horny, and furnished 

 with a pair of powerful jaws, and other organs of a 

 fleshy nature. The nutriment taken by these larvae 

 is very diversified, those whose organs of nutrition 

 are most robust attacking the harder parts of vege- 

 tables ; thus the larva, which is termed the palmiste, 

 being the immature state of Calandra pa/iiiaruni, 

 gnaws the trunk of the palms. Other larvae, whose 

 mouths are less powerfully constructed, feed upon the 

 farinaceous matter of various seeds, or the pith of 

 various plants, while others devour the leaves and 

 flowers. A few of the more minute sorts are miners, 

 eating only the parenchyma of leaves. And here we 

 may mention a circumstance, tending to show the 

 incorrectness of the opinion, that those species of 

 insects which feed upon imported plants are not 

 indigenous to this country. The hollyhocks in our 

 garden hafve, for several years, been much injured by 

 the small grubs of one of these insects, which we 

 have ascertained, by rearing them, to produce the 

 Apion radio/uni, a species ordinarily nourished upon 

 the mallow, but which, in this instance, has preferred 

 the hollyhock, probably from its larger size, although 

 mallows were growing within a very short distance 

 from the hollyhocks. The instinct of the parent 

 insect induces her to deposit her eggs in such situa- 

 tions that the larvae, as soon as hatched, find them- 

 selves in the midst of their natural food. 



We must refer to our articles upon APION, BALA- 

 NINUS, CALANDRA, and other genera, for addi- 

 tional observations upon the natural history of these 

 insects. 



The beautiful Rhynchites Bacchus (termed by the 

 French agriculturists La beche) does great injury in 

 the vineyards, appearing in June, and devouring the 

 young and tender shoots, extracting the sap by means 

 of its long tubular proboscis. This causes the leaves 

 to roll and shrivel up, and in the midst of these 

 rolled-up leaves, surrounded by a silken covering, the 

 eggs are deposited, from which are produced the 

 larvae, which also devour the leaves. An ingenious 

 mode of destroying these insects has been adopted in 

 France, which we think might be employed with 

 much success in our own country in killing various 

 obnoxious insects, especially those which attack 

 trained plants. The insect, when disturbed, adopts 

 the general mode of defence pursued by its tribe, 

 folding up its legs, and falling to the earth, so that, 

 by holding a small gutter of paper beneath the 

 branch, and then shaking the latter, the insects, 

 being at the time on the point of depositing their 

 eggs, drop into the paper gutter, and are easily 

 destroyed. 



Another species of this family, Lixus paraplccticm, 

 attacks the- Phcllandrium aquaticum, the larva boring 

 into the stems ; and it is asserted by some authors 

 that horses, which feed upon the infected plants, are 

 subject to a violent disease, which the Swedes term 

 stakra. 



The thistle, Carduus spinosissimus, nourishes another 

 weevil, whose virtues were highly praised in past times 

 as a specific against the toothach. This insect, accord- 

 ingly, acquired the name of Ciircuho a?itiodonlalgictit; 



