No. 144.] 281 



means to protect them from the ravages of insects, which very 

 often leave but a scanty allowance to remunerate him for his toil, 

 although insects perform a very usetul office by assisting in keep- 

 ing the vegetable kingdom in subjection ; yet how frequently do 

 they materially lessen the profits of the agriculturist 1 It there- 

 fore becomes evident that it is a part of the profession of the cul- 

 tivator of the soil t() learn as much as possible of the nature and 

 habits of ini>ects, so that he may thus be the better enabled to 

 discover the means of preventing their injuries. The wheat 

 plant, from the moment that its seed germinates until the grain is 

 received into the granary, is subject to their ruinous attack. But 

 the evil does not rest here, for the little depredator, chosen for 

 consideration to-day, as well as others, is likely to give evidence 

 of its destructive powers in the granary It is a usual expression 

 that "bread is the staff of life," and notwithstanding the fact that 

 in the United States alone upwards of 120,000,000 bushels of wheat 

 are grown annually, yet it would be very interesting and impor- 

 tant to learn how far this " staff of life" will last if some means 

 be not discovered to prevent pestilent depredators from gnawing 

 it in pieces. Although the agricultural press teems with state- 

 ments of the immense destruction of insects upon the wheat crop, 

 yet, as the grain weevil is the subject chosen for to-day, it would 

 be a digression to treat of others. The grain weevil, or wheat 

 weevil, known to the naturalists as the curculio gromarius of Lin- 

 nseus resembles very much in appearance the rice weevil {curcu- 

 lio oryza of Linnaeus), which is also known to attack wheat, but 

 upon close examination they can readily be distinguished from 

 each other, the rice weevil being smaller, and having two redish 

 spots upon each of the wing covers or wing cases. The wheat 

 weevil exists in four states, namely, the ovum, or egg, larva or 

 grub, pupa or chrysalis, and imago or perfect insect. It is slen- 

 der in form, of a pitchy red color, about one-eighth of an inch 

 long, and is furnished wilh a snout bent slightly downward. The 

 thorax is long and coarsely punctured. The wiug cases, which 

 do not entirely cover the abdomen, are striated. The female de- 

 posits her eggs upon housed wheat, which, after a short time, be- 

 come hatched, each grub occupying a single grain, and it fre- 

 quently leaves the hull only behind. These grubs soon pass into 



