55 



systems well established, start earlier and grow more vigorously than 

 do those from seed, and are therefore doubly tempting to the hungiy 

 weevils that emerge earh^ in the spring. In the spring of 1903 in one 

 field of comparativel}^ early cotton, 2 or 3 acres in extent, the writer 

 found, between April 24 and May 11, 23 weevils working on the buds 

 and tender leaves of seppa plants before a single weevil was found on 

 the young planted cotton having from four to eight leaves. At 

 Victoria early in June, 1902, Mr. A. N. Caudell found, in examining 

 100 seppa plants, growing in a planted field, that fully one-half of the 

 squares upon these plants were then infested. The planted cotton 

 was just beginning to form squares, and was slightly injured at that 

 time. 



It appears, therefore, that seppa plants, where such exist, receive 

 a large part of the first attack of the hibernated weevils. Several 

 reasons may be given in explanation of this condition. These plants, 

 often appearing above the ground before the planted cotton, naturally 

 draw the earliest weevils, and as the movement of the weevils is very 

 slight at this time of the year, these weevils may very certainly be 

 found upon those plants where the}^ find favorable food. In the 

 natural process of selection, the largest and most advanced plants 

 would naturally be expected to draw the attack of a large proportion 

 of the weevils which might emerge, even after the planted cotton had 

 broken ground. It is by no means certain, however, that all hibernated 

 weevils may be found upon these early plants. The comparatively 

 small number of seppa plants makes it an easy matter to examine 

 them with much more care than can be given to the large number of 

 small plants. A number of observations have shown that weevils fre- 

 quently occur upon the planted cotton even when numbers of vigor- 

 ous seppa plants may be found within a comparatively short distance. 



It has been conclusively shown that the first squares do not exert 

 any such strong power of attraction to the weevils as has been hereto- 

 fore supposed. Weevils which have fed upon the tender tips of plants 

 seem perfectly satisfied with their food supply, and it is quite evident 

 that their first meal upon squares is more the result of accident than 

 intention. After having begun to feed upon squares, however, it 

 appears that their taste becomes so fixed that they normally seek for 

 squares. It has been found that females do not develop eggs until 

 squares have been fed upon for a period of several days. They have, 

 therefore, no especial impulse to seek squares for the purpose of ovi- 

 position, which has hitherto been considered their prime motive in 

 their early spring movement. The concentration of the weevils upon 

 plants having squares takes place very gradually. Opportunities for 

 observations at Victoria during the spring of 1904 were exceptionally 

 favorable, and it was found that many weevils still remain upon plants 

 not having squares for fully six weeks after numerous plants growing 



