52 GRAMMAR OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



159. By the time the female weevil is ready 

 for the important task of depositing her eggs, the 

 spring has considerably advanced ; the apple buds 

 have burst ; and the little bunches of blossom 

 are readily to be distinguished. The weevil soon 

 finds out these, and selecting a blossom every- 

 way to her mind, commences her operations. 



160. The beak, or trunk of the weevil, is a 

 curious instrument; it is very long, and, from 

 each side of it, springs a feeler, which bends for- 

 wards at a right angle, so that it appears to be 

 three-pronged, like a trident ; it is furnished at 

 the extremity with short teeth, or mandibles. 



161. With these teeth the female weevil gnaws 

 a very minute hole into the calyx of the future 

 blossom, and continues gnawing until the trunk is 

 plunged in up to her eyes ; the trunk is then 

 withdrawn, and the hole carefully examined by 

 the introduction of one of the feelers : if it 

 requires alteration, the trunk goes to work again, 

 and again the feelers. 



162. Being at last fully satisfied that the work 

 is well accomplished, she turns about, and, standing 

 with the extremity of her abdomen over the hole, 

 thrusts into it her long ovipositor, an instrument 

 composed of a set of tubes, retractile one within 

 the other, and deposits a single egg (never more) 

 in the very centre of the future flower : another 

 examination with hei* feeler now takes place, to 

 ascertain that all is right, and away she flies to 



