166 



and gnaws it nearly through, so that the bud hangs down and event\i;illy 

 drops to the ground. Inside the cut off bud the young grub hatclies .md 

 l^asses through all of its stages, the dead flower remaining closed around it 

 as a jirotection. When the gruli is full-grown, it forms a lirittle cocoon of 

 the debris, and in about a month from the time the egg is laid, the perfect 

 beetle eats its wa.v out. The new generation of beetles may freipiently be 

 found at Ottawa in the latter half of .Tuly. and early in August. There is 

 only one brood of this beetle, as far as is known, and, as all the beetles 

 disappear suddenly in the beginning of August, it is supposed tliat they go 

 into hibernation at that time, hiding away beneath moss or among bushes 

 and perhaps in woods, where they remain in a lethargic condition until the 

 following spring. The varieties of strawberries chosen by the females for 

 egg-la.vlng are always those which produce jiollen in considerable (luantities, 

 and it is chiefly upon the pollen that the larva? feed. Varieties of straw- 

 berries with entirely pistillate flowers are not attacked ; consequentl.v. when 

 the strawberry weevil is abundant, growers will do well to plant pistillate 

 varieties as much as possible, and only enough plants of varieties which pro- 

 duce perfect flowers (which have both stamens and pistils) as will eusure 

 the proper fertilisation of \*.ie fruit. The numbers will, to a large measure, 

 depend upon the variety grown and the number of flowers produced. — Fletcher, 

 h'ciiort I'JO.J. 



I'EA Wei-;vil or Pe.v Bug {Bnicliiis phovum, Linn.) 



(Fir,. .j!1.) 



Attacl-. — A small, brownish-gray, very active beetle, one-fifth of an inch 

 long, with two consjiicudus black spots on the end of the body, which emerges 

 from seed pease in auliniiii or in spring, leaving a small round hole. 



The life history and habits of the pea weevil are well known. The egg is 

 laid on the outside of the young pod, and the grub, on hatching, eats its way 

 in and penetrates the nearest pea. Here it remains until full-grown, consum- 

 ing the interior of the pea and passing through all its .stages, from :i white 

 fleshy grub to the pupa, and then to tjie perfect beetle. As a rule, the beetles 

 do not, under ordiuar.v circumstances, leave the iiease until these are .sown 

 the following spring. Some of the beetles, however, in certain seasons, escape 

 from the pease, occasionally as earl.v as harvest time, or during autumn, 

 and pass the winter hidden away under rubbish, or about barns .-uid ntlier 

 buildings. On reviving hi spring, the.v fly to the fields of growing pease. 



