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THE FLY^ WEEVIL. 



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IS employed by them. This defed we generally fupplyby 

 conjedture, that the time is fpent infome torpid ftate: But 

 there are fome difcoveries as to certain infedls, that make 

 it extremely difficult to fuppofe fuch a flate; and if we 

 regard what naturalifts tell us of fome of the moth flies, 

 and indeed our own obfervations upon them, " that after 

 they become a fly, they never attempt any kind of fufle- 

 nance, but are feemingly folely employed ia the bufinefs 

 of fecundation, and the females in particular, in depofiting 

 their eggs for a new brood,'* we (h'a\\ bepuzzled to ac- 

 count how infeds, that never eat after their change into a 

 fly, can exift through fo long a period as a great part of 

 the fell, and generally of a long winter, till the period of 

 the foft flate of the new grain; and to Vv^hat flicker they 

 can retire from fuch a feries of weather, generally too 

 feverefor fuch tender forms. Wc may imagine fome in- 

 termediate brood, but what fliall we fancy to be the nidus 

 or food to bring them to this fly weevil again, ready for 

 that new period of foftnefs in the fucceeding crop of grain ? 

 From hence, perhaps, it is that fome gentlemen have grown 

 fond of the opinion, of their eating out of one grain, and 

 then flying to another grain, and laying their eggs upon 

 the ends of them, for a new brood; but as even weevil 

 eaten wheat is generally confumed one way or another, 

 long before the kerning of the new crop, the difficulty 

 (by fuch a fuppofition) will have many long months to 



contend wath. Therefore others tell us, they lie about in 

 barns, &c. However, the fl:andingcrop eaten up, before 

 taken notice of, is with me fufficient to confute fuch a fo- 

 lution of that difficulty : And I might add my own flrong 

 fumigations of my barn and granary (though enough to 

 deftroy a world of infe£ts) have been unfuccefsful, with 

 refped to this fly weevil, in the new crop. 



I mufl: here ftep afide to inform you, that though my 

 wheat would, when weevil eaten, pretty generally come 

 up In the field, yet when I was obliged to fow it, if I did 

 not double the ufual quantity (which the feafon always go 



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