The Life of the Weevil 
where ours is concerned! My credulity 
will not go to that length. 
How then does the mother, whose diet is 
different, distinguish what suits her off- 
spring? I do not know, I never shall know. 
It is an inviolable secret. The mother her- 
self does not know. What does the stomach 
know of its masterly chemistry? Nothing. 
What does the heart know of its wonderful 
hydraulics? Nothing. The pregnant mother, 
when establishing her brood, knows no more. 
And this unconsciousness provides us with 
an admirable solution of the difficult problem 
of victuals. A good example is afforded by 
the Weevils whom we have just been consi- 
dering. They will show us with what botan- 
ical tact the choice of the food-plant is made. 
To entrust the batch of eggs to this or 
that cluster of florets is not a matter of 
indifference. It is indispensable that the 
florets should fulfil certain conditions of 
flavour, stability, hairiness and other qualities 
appreciated by the grub. Its selection, 
therefore, demands a nice botanical discri- 
mination which will recognize off-hand the 
good and the bad, accept the discovery or 
reject it. Let us devote a few lines to these 
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