INSECT ATTACKS. 



237 



their operations by laying their eggs in the flowers ; the 

 maggots, as soon as born, eating into and feeding on the 

 ripe seed until the beetle is hatched in the spring, when 

 it forces itself out of the cell through the aperture cut by 

 the maggot. These beetles appear to confine themselves 

 to the seeds of pod -bearing plants, and inflict serious 

 injury on stored leguminous seeds of all kinds, though 



1 and 2. Bruchus granarius (Bean Grain-beetle) ; natural size and magnified. 

 3. Infested bean split open, with oval cell (a). 4 and 5. Maggot, natural size and 

 magnified ; changing to 6 and 7. Pupae ; natural size and magnified. 8. Horse-bean 

 injured by beetle (V), sown and vegetating. 9 and 10. Bruchus Pisi (Pea-Beetle) ; 

 natural size and magnified. 11. Seed-pea injured by beetle. 



generally speaking, they do not destroy the germ, so that 

 infected seeds when sown germinate, but from their injured 

 state they are liable to produce not only sickly plants, but 

 also to propagate the cause of their own injury. To pre- 

 vent this as far as possible, it is recommended to steep 

 the suspected seed in brine, or in hot water for a minute 

 or so, before sowing. There are two members of this 

 family attacking the bean crop, with which we are well 



