﻿^yO 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Other 
  American 
  species 
  of 
  this 
  genus 
  by 
  the 
  first 
  joint 
  of 
  the 
  antenna 
  

   being 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  second. 
  It 
  is 
  beautifully 
  variegated 
  with 
  fuscous 
  

   lines 
  and 
  spots 
  interspersed 
  among 
  the 
  dense 
  clothing 
  of 
  ochreous 
  scales 
  

   on 
  the 
  thorax 
  and 
  wing-covers. 
  Some 
  examples 
  are 
  entirely 
  ochreous. 
  

   The 
  beak 
  of 
  the 
  female 
  varies 
  in 
  length 
  from 
  one 
  and 
  one-fourth 
  to 
  twice 
  

   the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  body. 
  Its 
  distribution 
  has 
  been 
  given 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

   Massachusetts, 
  New 
  Jersey, 
  Pennsylvania, 
  District 
  of 
  Columbia, 
  North 
  

   Carolina, 
  West 
  Virginia, 
  Ohio, 
  Illinois, 
  Tennessee, 
  Middle 
  States 
  west- 
  

   ward. 
  Other 
  localities 
  are 
  recorded 
  by 
  McCarthy 
  for 
  chestnut 
  weevils, 
  

   but 
  the 
  species 
  are 
  not 
  indicated. 
  The 
  smaller 
  chestnut 
  weevil, 
  Balafiiiitis 
  

   rectus 
  Say, 
  has 
  a 
  wider 
  recorded 
  distribution, 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  Canada, 
  Massa- 
  

   chusetts, 
  New 
  York, 
  New 
  Jersey, 
  Pennsylvania, 
  District 
  of 
  Columbia, 
  

   Virginia, 
  West 
  Virginia, 
  Ohio, 
  Southern 
  States 
  and 
  Arizona. 
  Besides 
  

   the 
  above, 
  chestnut 
  weevils 
  have 
  been 
  reported 
  from 
  Delaware, 
  

   "Maryland, 
  Georgia, 
  Michigan 
  and 
  Missouri, 
  but 
  without 
  having 
  been 
  

   referred 
  to 
  either 
  species. 
  Possibly 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  may 
  have 
  a 
  dis- 
  

   tribution 
  over 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  co-extensive 
  with 
  its 
  chosen 
  food. 
  

  

  B. 
  rectus 
  varies 
  in 
  size 
  from 
  about 
  one-sixth 
  to 
  one-third 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  

   length. 
  The 
  general 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  scales 
  and 
  hair 
  is 
  light 
  brown 
  above, 
  

   paler 
  below; 
  on 
  the 
  thorax 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  dark 
  brown 
  discal 
  stripe, 
  which 
  is 
  

   limited 
  at 
  the 
  sides 
  and 
  divided 
  longitudinally 
  by 
  a 
  pale 
  yellow 
  line. 
  

   The 
  elytra 
  are 
  variously 
  marked 
  with 
  tne 
  same 
  color. 
  The 
  beak 
  of 
  the 
  

   female 
  is 
  very 
  long, 
  being 
  equal 
  to 
  or 
  even 
  longer 
  in 
  proportion 
  than 
  in 
  

   B. 
  proboscideus. 
  The 
  long 
  beak 
  and 
  the 
  long 
  conical 
  thorax 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  

   distinguish 
  B. 
  rectus 
  from 
  the 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  genus. 
  The 
  male 
  is 
  

   not 
  so 
  easily 
  recognized: 
  "It 
  has 
  a 
  shorter 
  thorax, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  still 
  narrowed 
  

   anteriorly; 
  this, 
  with 
  small 
  femoral 
  tooth, 
  oval 
  elytra 
  rapidly 
  narrowed 
  

   from 
  base, 
  and 
  a 
  yellowish 
  or 
  brownish 
  spot 
  of 
  condensed 
  scales 
  on 
  each 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  central 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  metasternum 
  (occasionally 
  obsolete), 
  will, 
  

   with 
  practice, 
  distinguish 
  it." 
  (Hamilton.) 
  (See 
  PI. 
  VIII, 
  figs. 
  4, 
  6.) 
  

  

  Life-History. 
  

   The 
  life-history 
  of 
  these 
  two 
  species 
  agrees 
  quite 
  closely, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  

   known. 
  The 
  weevils 
  of 
  B. 
  proboscideus 
  appear 
  about 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  

   blossoming 
  of 
  the 
  chestnut 
  trees, 
  — 
  this 
  being 
  variable 
  in 
  the 
  different 
  

   latitudes, 
  and 
  oviposit 
  in 
  the 
  young 
  biirrs. 
  The 
  long 
  beak 
  of 
  the 
  female 
  

   is 
  used 
  to 
  pierce 
  the 
  husk 
  to 
  the 
  kernel, 
  and 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  eggs 
  are 
  then 
  

   deposited 
  therein. 
  The 
  slight 
  injury 
  done 
  the 
  burr 
  and 
  the 
  nut 
  at 
  this 
  

   early 
  period 
  of 
  its 
  development 
  soon 
  heals 
  and 
  shows 
  no 
  indication 
  of 
  

   the 
  grub 
  within 
  as 
  it 
  comes 
  to 
  maturity. 
  The 
  holes 
  noticed 
  in 
  "wormy 
  

  

  