The Life of the Weevil 
the wound, which have set like cement. 
This envelope rises into an irregular cone and 
ends in the withered florets. In the centre 
of the tuft we generally see an opening, 
which might well be a ventilating-shaft. 
The number of eggs entrusted to a single 
head may easily be ascertained without 
destroying the cells: all that we need do is 
to count the yellow blurs unevenly distributed 
over the blue background. I have found 
five, six and more, even in a head smaller 
thanacherry. Each covers anegg. Do all 
these eggs come from the same mother? It 
is possible. At the same time, they may be 
of diverse origin, for it is not unusual to 
surprise two mothers both occupied in laying 
eggs on the same globe. 
Sometimes the points worked upon almost 
touch. The mother, it seems, has a very 
restricted numerical sense and is incapable of 
keeping count of the occupants. She drives 
her probe into the florets, unheeding that the 
place beside her is already taken. As a rule 
there are too many, far too many feasters 
at the niggardly banquet of the blue thistle. 
Three at most will find enough to live on. 
The first-comers will thrive; the laggards 
32 
