282 The Ciirciilio : 



history: describing his metamorphosis; his three stages of 

 existence, viz, : the larva, pupa and perfect-imago, or 

 beetle states. And this will be done for the reason, that 

 the more we know of his character the more practical and 

 more effectual will be our efforts to check and prevent the 

 injuries he commits upon fruit. 



This insect was called by Herbsi, Rhynchajnus Nenu- 



20 phar : by Peck, Rhyn- 



chsenus Cerasi — but 



^jB^ ^^M^ commonly goes by the 



^fff^ *^3T0v. name of Curculio, or 



plum weevil, by horti- 



The Curculio of the natural size. culturalists. "He is 



a little rough, dark brown beetle," has two small bunches 

 or protuberances on his back, a rostrum or beak on which 

 are two antenneae, {Jig. 20.) 



He is so shy and retiring and unobtrusive in his charac- 

 ter, in his beetle stage, that he is not liable to be seen un- 

 less he is searched for purposely, and this is the reason 

 why so little is known of him generally. 



When you have discovered that he is operating upon the 

 fruit, which you may know by his peculiar mark upon it, 

 21 by assidulously watching, you may chance 



to see him cutting the incision with his 

 rostrum, {Jig. 21.) If you extend your 

 thumb and finger towards him, it must 

 be done very cautiously and slily, or be- 

 fore you touch him he will drop, as imper- 

 ceptibly as a small shot would, to the 

 ground. 



It should be remarked, that we do not 

 know that he uses the fruit for his food, 

 but chooses it as receptacles for his eggs. 



He begins his work, upon the plum and 



apricot, as soon in the season as the small 



'''/ma'rnJkVse'."^ cap or covcrmg, formed by the blossom, 



lunar incision uith falls off, but uot SO soou upon the peach. 



his rostrum or beak. Examining the fruit occasionally, or daily, 



you are to know when he has commenced his work by his 



peculiar mark or incision, which is readily seen on fruit 



with smooth skin, as the plum, cherry, apple, &c., but on 



the peach it is known by a small drop of gum oozing from 



its surface. It has been stated, that the furzy surface on 



the peach is a barrier or obstacle in his way, but it does 



