CHAPTER V 
THE ELEPHANT WEEVIL 
GOME of our machines have odd-looking 
parts which seem inexplicable so long as 
they are seen in repose. But wait until the 
whole is set in motion, when the uncouth 
contrivance, with its gear-wheels biting and 
its jointed rods opening and closing, will 
reveal an ingenious combination wherein 
everything is cunningly arranged in view of 
the effects to be obtained. It is the same 
with various Weevils, notably the Balanini,1 
who, as their name tells us, are charged 
with the exploitation of acorns, nuts and 
other, similar fruits. 
The most remarkable in my part of the 
country is the Elephant Weevil, or Acorn- 
weevil (Balaninus elephas, Scu.). What 
a well-named insect! Its title is a picture in 
itself. It is a living caricature, with its pro- 
digious pipe-stem, no thicker than a horse- 
1 From the Latin balanus, an acorn.—Translator’s Note. 
