The Pea- Weevil: The Eggs 



larvae, very young, bent into a bow, fat and 

 wriggling, each in a little round hollow in 

 the heart of the victuals. 



Peace and comfort seem to reign in the 

 community. There is no quarrelling, no 

 jealous competition among neighbours. The 

 eating has begun, provisions are plentiful 

 and the banqueters are separated from one 

 another by partitions formed by the as yet 

 untouched portions of the seed-lobes. With 

 this isolation in separate cells, there is no 

 fear of squabbles; the guests will not bite 

 one another, by accident or intention. All 

 the occupants enjoy the same rights of pro- 

 perty, the same appetite and the same 

 strength. What will be the end of the 

 communal working? 



I split some peas which I have found to be 

 well-stocked and place them in a glass tube. 

 I add others daily. This method keeps me 

 informed of the boarders' progress. At first 

 there is nothing special. Isolated in its 

 narrow recess, each grub nibbles around itself 

 and eats frugally and peacefully. It is still 

 quite small; a speck qf food surfeits it. 

 Nevertheless, a dish consisting of one pea 

 cannot satisfy so large a number until the 

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