TRANSACTIONS OF THE SOCIETY. 



19 



He is so shy and retiring and unobtrusive in his character, in his beetle 

 stage, that he is not liable to be seen unless he is searched for purposely, 

 and this is the reason why so little is known of him generally. 



When you have discovered that he is operating upon the fruit, which 

 you may know by his peculiar mark upon it, by assiduously watching, 

 21 you may chance to see him cutting the incision with 



his rostrum, {fig. 21.) If you extend your thumb and 

 finger towards him, it must be done very cautiously 

 and slily, or before you touch him he will drop, as 

 imperceptibly as a small shot would, to the ground. 

 It should be remarked, that we do not know that 

 he uses the fruit for his food, but chooses it as recep- 

 tacles for his eggs. 



He begins his work, upon the plum and apricot, 

 as soon in the season as the small cap or covering, 

 formed by the blossom, falls off, but not so soon 



, upon the peach. Examining the fruit occasionally. 

 The Ciirculio in the act of '^ ^ ^ ^ ■" 



makin? the semi-lunar or daily, you are to know when he has commenced 



incision with his rost- ^js work, by his peculiar mark or incision, which is 



rum or ea . readily seen on fruit with smooth skin, as the plum, 



cherry, apple, &c., but on the peach, it is known by a small drop of gum 

 oozing from its surface. It has been stated, that the fuzzy surface on the 

 peach is a barrier or obstacle in his way, but it 2 



does not prove so here, as the injury which it 

 sustains is quite general, unless protected. 



I say, then, he is known to be on the fruit tree 

 by his peculiar mark on the fruit. This mark is 

 the wound he makes with his rostrum, which 

 consists in raising up the skin of the plum to a 

 small extent, under which he deposits an egg. 

 The shape or form of this mark is semi-lunar, or 

 crescent shape, and in the middle of this wound 

 is a small discolored speck, where the egg is 

 placed, (figs. 22, 23, 24.) 



In the early part of the season, or during the 

 month of June, his mark will be found near the 

 apex or point of the plum, (fig. 22.) 



But after the plum has reached a considerable 

 size, or from the 1st to the 20th of July, his mark 

 will be found at the base, or near where the stem 

 is inserted, (fig. 23, p. 20.) 



This last mentioned place the insect prefers, it 

 would seem, from instinct, lest the plum, by its '"""""maiipiimB."'" *" 



