64 COLEOPTERA. 



many years ago, and has gradually spread from thence to 

 New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and 

 Massachusetts. It is yet rare in New Hampshire, and I 

 believe has not appeared in the eastern parts of Maine. It 

 is unknown in the North of Europe, as we learn from the 

 interesting account given of it by Kalm, the Swedish trav- 

 eller, who tells us of the fear with which he was "filled on 

 finding some of these weevils in a parcel of peas which he 

 had carried home from America, having in view the whole 

 damage which his beloved country would have suffered, if 

 only two or three of these noxious insects had escaped him. 

 They are now common in the South of Europe and in Eng- 

 land, whither they may have been carried fi-om this country. 

 As the cultivated pea was not originally a native of Amer- 

 ica, it would be interesting to ascertain what plants the pea- 

 weevil formerly inhabited. That it should have preferred 

 the prolific exotic pea to any of our indigenous and less 

 productive pulse, is not a matter of surprise, analogous facts 

 being of common occurrence ; but that, for so many years, a 

 rational method for checking its ravages shovild not have been 

 practised, is somewhat remarkable. An exceedingly simple 

 one is recommended by Deane, but to be successfiil it should 

 be universally adopted. It consists merely in keeping seed- 

 peas in tight vessels over one year before planting them. 

 Latreille and others recommend putting them, just before 

 they are to be planted, into hot water for a minute or two, 

 by which means the weevils will be killed, and the sprouting 

 of the peas will be qiiickened. The insect is limited to a 

 certain period for depositing its eggs ; late-sown peas there- 

 fore escape its attacks. The late Colonel Pickering observed 

 that those sown in Pennsylvania as late as the 20th of Mav 

 were entirely free fi-om weevils ; and Colonel Worthington, 

 of Rensselaer County, New York, Avho sowed his peas on 

 the 10th of June, six years in siiccession, never found an 

 insect in them during that period. 



The crow black-bird is said to devour great numbers of 



