THE CURCULIO. 77 



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For twelve years I had large orchards, both of Plum and Apricot trees. During all 

 that time, except the first two years, when I was trying the various nostrums and 

 quack Curculio remedies, I faithfully pursued the tv/o plans recommended in this 

 work destroying the young fruits as they fell, so as to diminish the number of the 

 enemy for the next year and when the Curculio made its appearance on the young 

 fruit, to jar -jar jar every day, or three times a day if necessary, till the battle was 

 fought out and the victory won on my side. Every year of that ten years, every crop 

 on every tree in those orchards of Plums, Apricots, and Nectarines, came to perfection. 

 If the crop started thin I kept them all ; if too abundant I let the Curculio take as 

 much as was required for a proper thinning out, but no more. 



Found several Curculios to-day on the same knots of Cherry trees and tried them 

 with an apple of last year, but they knew it not. When portions of it were cut off 

 and given to them, they tasted moderately. 



May 25. Found one Curculio on Green Gage tree, and two on the same Cherry 

 knot. Killed an Oriole (Baltimore) a male of one year ; it did not have the bril- 

 liant colors of the fully matured bird. I had followed it from tree to tree for a long 

 time, listening to its peculiar notes, and watching its habit of feeding. In a very 

 careful examination of the contents of the stomach, what appeared to be the wing- 

 cases of a Curculio were discovered ; and on further scrutiny I found the head with 

 the proboscis attached. This was exciting. Here was some evidence that one bird 

 at least was feeding upon our most formidable insect enemy ; but as the Curculio is 

 one of a large family of the Coleoptera, and many of the different species bear a striking 

 resemblance to each other, both in form and size, it was necessary to pursue the 

 investigation still further. On placing the wing cases under the microscope, the 

 peculiar protuberances the brilliant metallic colors the hairs resembling pearls, when 

 a strong light is directed upon them, that I had so often seen, were all visible. The 

 mutilated head was now tested. There was the proboscis with its cutting apparatus, 

 and the 147 lenses in the eye. I have examined the eyes of many others of this 

 family, but not one of them has the same number of lenses. The larger species 

 figured in PI. 5, Fig. 10, lias more than double this number. 



All this evidence taken together was ample to settle this question for ever. The 

 Baltimore eats the Curculio ! Let the death of this martyred bird secure the protec- 

 tion of its race for all future time. The remains of three other beetles and three 

 leaf-curling caterpillars were also found in the stomach of this Oriole. 



May 27. There was rain all night, but it was over in the morning ; cleared off 



