The Life of the Weevil 



attempt: she works under my bell-jars as 

 zealously as on her oak. What I now learn 

 deprives me of all hope of following the 

 details of the leaf-rolling process : the Atte- 

 labus is one of those who work at night. 



Late in the evening, about nine or ten 

 o'clock, she gives the cuts of the scissors 

 that slash the leaf; next morning, the keg is 

 finished. Seen by the uncertain light of a 

 lamp and at untimely hours, hours rightly 

 claimed by sleep, the worker's delicate tech- 

 nique would escape me. We will give up 

 the idea. 



There is a reason for these nocturnal 

 habits. I think I see what it is. The leaf 

 of the oak, especially of the holm-oak, is 

 much harder to bend than the leaf of the 

 alder, the poplar or the vine. If rolled in 

 the daytime, under the burning rays of the 

 sun, it would add to the difficulties arising 

 from indifferent flexibility those due to 

 incipient dryness. On the other hand, when 

 visited by the dew, in the coolness of the 

 night, it will remain pliable; it will yield 

 adequately to the efforts of the roller; and 

 the barrel will be ready when the sun comes, 



