The Botanical Instinct 
Weevils from the point of view of their 
botanical attainments. 
Scorning variety, the Spotted Larinus is a 
specialist of immovable convictions. Her 
domain is the blue ball of the echinops, an 
exclusive domain, valueless to the others. 
She alone appreciates it, she alone exploits 
it; and nothing else suits her. 
This particularity, an unchangeable family 
inheritance, must greatly facilitate her 
search. When, on the return of the warm 
weather, the insect leaves her hiding-place, 
which is doubtless not far from the spot 
where she was born, she easily finds, on the 
banks by the road-side, her favourite plant, 
which is already tipping its branches with 
pale-blue globes. The dear heritage is 
recognized without hesitation. She climbs 
into it, rejoices in her nuptial diversions and 
waits for the azure balls to mature to the re- 
quisite stage. The blue thistle is familiar to 
her though she sees it for the first time. It 
was the only one known in the past; it is the 
only one known in the present. There is no 
confusion possible. 
The second Larinus, the Bear, begins to 
vary her flora to some extent. I know that 
81 
