251 



time since and the eggs had evidently been laid soon after it 

 had fallen. The tree, including the roots which were ex- 

 posed, was about thirty feet in length with a diameter at the 

 base of about nine inches. A rough estimate of the numbers 

 of the larvae present indicated not less than three or four 

 hundred larvae at work. These were in all stages from those 

 very recently hatched to full grown ones and a few had al- 

 ready pupated. 



The larvae during their feeding period work in the cam- 

 bium layer of the bark and in some instances complete their 

 transformations there, making their pupal cells between the 

 bark and the wood. Ordinarily however upon reaching full 

 growth they penetrate into the wood for ten or fifteen milli- 

 meters, nearly vertically and then direct the burrow along the 

 grain of the wood and make a larval chamber there 20-35 

 millimeters long. When it is completed the hirva plugs up 

 the entrance with shredded wood and transforms with its 

 head directed toward the opening and its beak folded against 

 its breast. When it emerges the shredded wood is dragged 

 back behind the weevil into its chamber. 



A number of the full-fed larvae and the few pupae found 

 were brought down in an effort to breed them out but with 

 very indifferent success. Mr. Swezey found the larvae would 

 construct pupal chambers in sugar-cane but in the warmer 

 temperature of the lowlands they proved susceptible to molds 

 and no satisfactory adults were secured. Long after the last 

 of the pupae had made ineffectual efforts to transform and the 

 larvae had molded or died in transformation, ]\lr. Swezey 

 and I were able, on January 12, 1919, to return to this 

 tree. To our surprise only a few of the grubs had reached 

 maturity and none or but very few had emerged, while most 

 of the larvae had become pupae. A considerable number of 

 these were brought down and placed in a jar in damp moss 

 and most of these transformed satisfactorily. 



