FAMILY CURCULIONIDiE. 11 J 



This species has a wide range : it is found in Canada, Northern New- York, Wisconsin, 

 and Massachusetts. 



The following remarks of Prof. Haldeman are highly appropriate in this place : 



'Among rhyncophorous coleoptera, the Genus Balaninus is remarkable fcr having a 

 very long slender snout, frequently exceeding the body in length, and bearing a pair of 

 antennte as slender as a hair. Chesnuts are frequently found infested with a fleshy grub, 

 which feeds upon the interior, and fills the cavity with its castings in the shape of dust. 

 This is the larva of Balaninus nascicus (Say). It is densely clothed with short hair mottled 

 with ferruginous. An allied but smaller species is found in the larva state in the nut of 

 the Castanea pnmila, or chinquapin. These larva; are very difficult to raise to the perfect 

 state when the attempt is made, and it is probable that many perish from various con- 

 tingencies. 



' Conotrackelus nenuphar (Rerbst), subsequently named Rhynchanus argula byFASRicius, 

 is very destructive to the fruit of the plum, which the larvse inhabit, and cause to fall 

 prematurely. This damage is so great in some sections, that not a single plum can be 

 raised to maturity. When the fruit falls, the grubs penetrate into the ground ; so that to 

 check their increase, it is advisable to collect and destroy these (as by boiling and feeding 

 them to hogs), including such upon the trees as present a dwarfed, imi)erfect, or gummy 

 appearance. Paving the ground around the trees is said to answer an excellent purpose, 

 and it is well known that plum trees lloiuish well when planted in pavements. This is a 

 small rough insect of a brown color, irregularly marked with white, black and yellow j 

 and the snout is held upon or near the breast. It is said by Dr. Harris to have been raised 

 from the black warty excrescences found upon the smaller branches of plum and cherry 

 trees. The Rev. D. Ziegler of York (Pennsylvania) has shown me specimens of the butter- 

 fly which destroys the peach-tree {Egeria eriliosa), raised from these excrescences, which 

 differ from those taken from about the root of the tree in being considerably smaller : the 

 two forms have not, however, been rigidly compared. 



' The Genus Sitophilus includes a number of small insects called weevil, which are 

 destructive to stored grain, as wheat, rice and corn ; and under circumstances lavorable to 

 their increase, great quantities are destroyed or depreciated in value. The use of salt, and 

 kiln-drying, have bL>eu recommended as preventatives. The latter process may be per- 

 formed in an economical manner by erecting a stove with a vertical pipe fifteen or twenty 

 fjet in height : around this pipe, and about three inches from it ou every side, a second 

 one of wood is to be placed ; and wliilst the heat from the fire passes through the inner 

 one, the grain is to be passed through the cavity between the pipes, and at such a rate as 

 to prevent it from being injured by too high a temperature. Tlie moisture will be more 

 effectually driven off if the outer pipe is made with open joints, because otherwise it must 

 rise tlirough the whole column before it can escape, and much of it will condense and be 



