The Life of the Weevil 



where ours is concerned! My credulity 

 will not go to that length. 



How then does the mother, whose diet is 

 different, distinguish what suits her off- 

 spring? I do not know, I never shall know. 

 It is an inviolable secret. The mother her- 

 self does not know. What does the stomach 

 know of its masterly chemistry? Nothing. 

 What does the heart know of its wonderful 

 hydraulics? Nothing. The pregnant mother, 

 when establishing her brood, knows no more. 



And this unconsciousness provides us with 

 an admirable solution of the difficult problem 

 of victuals. A good example is afforded by 

 the Weevils whom we have just been consi- 

 dering. They will show us with what botan- 

 ical tact the choice of the food-plant is made. 



To entrust the batch of eggs to this or 

 that cluster of florets is not a matter of 

 indifference. It is indispensable that the 

 florets should fulfil certain conditions of 

 flavour, stability, hairiness and other qualities 

 appreciated by the grub. Its selection, 

 therefore, demands a nice botanical discri- 

 mination which will recognize off-hand the 

 good and the bad, accept the discovery or 

 reject it. Let us devote a few lines to these 

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