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excrement over the hole in the shell which hardens in drying 

 and effectually seals the eggs against the attacks of enemies. 



It is only with a good deal of difficulty that the beetles are 

 able to get a hole started in the horny texture of which the point 

 of the acorn is composed. In order to effect a beginning they are 

 obliged to extend all their legs to the utmost and even then stand 

 "tip-toe" to get the beak in proper position to use it to advan- 

 tage. I have found two of the females that, while working in 

 this strained position, had lost their foothold on the nut just 

 after the point of the snout had become buried in the shell, and, 

 not being able to regain their footing, they had hung by their 

 snouts and died. 



This species is unsuspicious and the females will allow them- 

 selves to be approached closely while egg laying without showing 

 any signs of alarm. I have several times cut off a branch bear- 

 ing an acorn on which a female was working, and, without dis- 

 turbing the insect in the least, have carried it five hundred yards 

 and obtained a photograph. 



The egg is the same translucent white as in others of the 

 group. It is more elongate than some of the others Ibut varies 

 considerable in size and shape. One measurement gave ; length 

 .035 inch, width .015 inch and another, length .03 inch and width 

 .015 inch. Eggs deposited on September 10th hatched on Sep- 

 tember 18th or in eight days after being laid. 



The larva is white with a pale, reddish brown, sometimes 

 almost white, head. When full grown it escapes from the acorn 

 through a hole in the side and enters the ground. 



THE SOOTY ACORN WEEVIL, Balaninus baculi Chittn. 



The dark gray or sooty color of this weevil, with the entire 

 absence of yellow or brown, will serve to distinguish it from all 

 others of the group that are found in this region. Dr. A. D. 

 Hopkins found it on black oak at Kanawha, W. Va. and Chitten- 

 den on white oak at Ithaca, N. Y. I have seen it ovipositing in 

 red, scarlet, black and white oak acorns but have always found 

 it most abundant on the biennials. 



