THE APPLE WEEVIL. 179 



any alteration, the triiuk goes to work again, and again the 

 feelers ; at last, being fully satisfied that the work is well ac- 

 coraplished, she turns about, and, standing witli the extremity 

 of her abdomen over the hole, thrusts into it her long oviposi- 

 tor, an instrument composed of a set of tubes retractile one 

 within tlie other, and deposits a single egg (never moi'e) in the 

 very centre of the future flower. Anuther examination with 

 Ler feelers now takes place ; and when she is thoroughly satis- 

 fied that all is right, away she flies to perform the same opera- 

 tion again and again, never tiring while she has an egg to lay. 



' The bud continues to grow like the other buds ; the little 

 perforation becomes invisible. By and by the egg bursts, and 

 out comes a little white maggot, with neither legs nor wings. 

 This maggot, directly it is hatched, begins to devour the young 

 and tender stamens ; next to these the style is attacked, and 

 eaten down to the fruit, the upper part of which is quickly 

 consumed : tlie maggot is then full-fed ; it casts its skin, be- 

 comes a chrysalis, and lies perfectly still. Up to this time the 

 blossom has continued healthy, no trace of the enemy being to 

 be discovered without ; but when the neighbouring blossoms 

 are expanding their petals to the genial breath of spring, those 

 of the mutilated bud remain closed, and retain the arched, 

 balloon-like appearance of a bud about to burst. For a few 

 days they preserve their lovely pink colour, and then, by 

 degrees fade to dingy-bro"«m. In this state they remain until 

 theotJ/er apples are well knit ; and then the damaged blossoms, 

 by t?.eir decided contrast, appear very conspicuous. On open- 

 ing these brown, or rather rust-coloured, blossoms between 

 June 10 and 15, the chrysalis will be found to have changed to 

 a perfect Beetle, sinailar to its parent, above described, which, 

 had it been left to itself, would in a few days have eaten its 

 way through the weather-beaten case of dried petals and left its 

 prison-house, flying about to take its pleasure, until the chilly 

 winds of autumn shovild drive it to its winter habitation under 

 the bark.' 



The insect also conceals itself under stones, sticks, leaves, or 

 other rubbish lying under the trees, so that the gardener who 

 cares for his fruit-trees will do well to scrape together all these 

 sticks and leaves, and burn them about the beginning of 

 February. Five English species belong to this genus. 



N 2 



