CH.tRLOCK WEEVIL. 



75- 



autennae, or horns, are placed. It may, however, be to some degree 

 distinguished from these by its smaller size, this being only about half 

 to three-quarters of a line in length, whilst the stated length of the 

 Turnip-gall Weevil is one line and a third, and that of the Seed Weevil 

 from one line to a line and a quarter. The general tint is shiny black; 

 the wing-cases sometimes (and in some of the specimens before me) 

 having a very slight greenish glance, and the fore body, or thorax, which 

 is narrowed (and crossed by a deep groove) at the end nearest the head, 

 is strongly punctured above. The wings are so finely nerved that even 

 with a two-inch objective, I could only distinguish those figured. 



On the 10th of May, Mr. H. L. Leonard, of Preston, Hull, with 

 whom I had been in correspondence for some months previously on the 

 subject of Mustard attacks, was good enough to forward me the 

 following report of his personal observations of the mischief then being 

 caused by the ravages of this little beetle : — " I have just finished my 

 round amongst the Holderness growers of white Mustard seed. I find 

 a great amount of damage has been done by a small weevil, which is 

 present in immense numbers, and of which I send you specimens. 

 Owing to the heavy rain on March 1st, and the subsequent long 

 drought, the soil is in small clods, instead of being, as should be the 

 case, well pulverised, yet firm. 



"Just before the plant shows itself above ground, the weevil (which 

 through the unusual state of the soil is enabled to run under the sur- 

 face easily) eats the seed, and in doing so of course destroys the young 

 plant itself, nothing being left but the thin sprout, which quickly dies. 

 Virtually, every seed is destroyed in some fields, and they have had to 

 be sown over again. As a proof that the weevil would probably be 

 innocuous but for the exceptional condition of the soil, I notice that 

 in the worst infested fields, when a piece of land is in fine condition, 

 you find the plant upon it quite healthy, and growing well. 



" On some fields the plant has been eaten off after it appears above 

 ground, but in all these cases the plant icas delicate and growivfj badly, 

 and both the weevil and the Turnip Fly were present in large numbers. 

 The farmers generally think the weevil the most destructive of the 

 two." Later on (Mr. Leonard mentioned), "The weevil completely 

 disa^ppeared in about three weeks or a month." 



On June 7th, Mr. Leonard again alluded to the great extent to 

 which he found amount of attack was influenced by condition of the 

 land, and consequent condition of the plants "wherever the land had 

 worked more freely, and the Mustard was growing more vigorously, 

 there you scarcely find any of the weevil. The more delicate the 

 plant, the greater the number of insects. 



" Several of the farmers are quite certain that where the plant was 

 eaten off above ground, the damage was done by this same weevil. I 



