THE CURCULIO. 73 



the ear they can be heard moving about, both day and night. This evening I have 

 been subjecting them to an examination under the microscope. The eye appears to 

 have 147 lenses, and one of the females was found to contain twenty-five eggs. The 

 head, twenty minutes after being separated from the body, was still in motion. The 

 nippers at the end of the proboscis could be seen moving as if biting. A living insect 

 being placed so as to show the under side of the body, gave a complete view of the 

 ball and socket articulation of the head and legs, very perfect illustrations of that kind 

 of joint. This accounts for the curved form of the mark made in the fruit. The 

 body of the Curculio remains immovable while the incision is being cut, and, of 

 course, it must conform in shape and size to the turning of the head on this ball and 

 socket axis. 



Portions of beetles are often used as settings for the microscope. The Diamond 

 Beetle is very brilliant, but far less so than the Curculio. There are probably no 

 combinations of colors so gorgeous as those exhibited in the wing-covers of a living 

 Curculio under the microscope, where the rays of strong lights are concentrated by 

 properly arranged reflectors. All the parts of this little beetle eyes, limbs, and wing 

 covers develop bright metallic tints, while the minute hairs found on all parts of the 

 Curculio appear as pearls. I have often wished that these vivid colors could be 

 transferred to canvas ; and my friend Hochstein has several times made the attempt, 

 but he has now abandoned the undertaking as beyond his power. 



One would think, in contemplating a Curculio, that it was as unpromising a 

 subject to develop beauty as would be the head of a Toad to bring forth jewels; but 

 " sweet are the uses of adversity," as Shakspeare says, in alluding to the contrast 

 between good and evil, as exemplified in the Toad. In his days it was believed 

 that there was a stone in the head of the Toad endued with singular virtues, and this 

 was a compensation for the venomous effects of its touch. I am a firm believer in 

 the doctrine of compensations, but the tongue is the Toad's jewel. All gardeners 

 know the trouble we have with some insects, and few are more provoking than the 

 striped bug on the young Melon vines. Place one of your pet Toads (and all gar- 

 deners should have such pets) among these vines, and watch him. See how like a 

 streak of lightning that tongue flashes out, and how the Melon Bug flashes in. 

 If you are a collector of insects, and want those that are active at night when 

 you are asleep, take from the Toad early in the morning the supply he has gathered 

 to ruminate upon during the day. Many of them will be as perfect as if you had 

 caught them with your own gauze net. And what a variety ! Yes, the Toad is 

 ugly and venomous to insects, but has a jewel in his head for us. 



The Toad is a funny creature, and if you look at him as a philosopher should, 



