1OO INSECTS INJURIOUS TO FRUIT. 



told me that he had kept some as pets until late in November, feeding them 

 with pieces of apples. Finally they were thrown out accidentally, and swept into 

 the fire. I have often kept them in the flower-pots in which they have undergone 

 their transformation, by covering them with milliner.. Some try to escape through 

 this covering, but most of them will be found curled up and torpid, lying among the 

 little clods of earth. During the warm weather of early fall they will nibble a 

 little at fruit or leaves, but as the cold weather approaches they become quite torpid. 



Mr. Marie's experience has been like my own, as to the great tenacity of life of 

 this insect. He has experimented with many things, with reference to finding some- 

 thing that might be made available towards its control. He told me to-day that he 

 had tried them in the strongest mustard, all kinds of pepper even the hottest 

 cayenne, French vinegar, and chloride of lime. They not only survive all these, 

 but soon appear as lively as ever. Tobacco smoke, puffed upon them, if long con- 

 tinued, will kill them. Oil is fatal to them, as it is to all insects. 



The following short communication appeared in Moore's Rural New Torkcr, of 

 Jan. 28th, 1 865 : 



" How to Catch Curculios. Eds. Rural New Yorker : In May last we had occasion to use some 

 lumber. It was laid down in the vicinity of the Plum yard, and on taking up a piece of it one cold morn- 

 ing, we discovered a number of Curculios huddled together on the under side. On examining other boards 

 we found more, so we spread it out to sec if we could catch more, and we continued to find more or less 

 every day, for two weeks. We caught in all one hundred and sixty-one. So I think if people would take a 

 little pains they might destroy a great many such pests. These were caught before the plum trees were in 

 flower. What is most singular is, that we never found a Curculio on a piece of old lumber, although we 

 put several pieces down to try them. They seemed to come out of the ground, as we could find them 

 several times a day by turning over the boards, 



" JohnsonvilU, N. Y., 1865. MRS. H. WIER." 



Upon which the Editors remark :-r- 



" These facts are interesting. Observers do not agree as to whether the Curculio remains in the 

 ground during the winter or not. Some assert that it lives above ground somewhere in its perfect state or 

 form. Any facts relating to the settlement of this question will be interesting." 



The above struck me as containing important facts, provided the insects found 

 were really the Curculio, and I at once wrote to this lady to send me some specimens, 

 if she had kept any. In a few days I received an answer, stating that they had 

 killed them all at the time, but would certainly try the experiment in the spring 

 again, and send some then. She stated that she was perfectly familiar with the Cur- 

 culio, from having so often seen it at work on the Plums, and she had no doubt that 



