The Life of the Weevil 
ground. The future is wisely provided 
against; from its present catacomb the adult 
will be able without hindrance to ascend to 
the light of day. 
We were saying that, if the Weevil 
assumed her final shape in the nut, she would 
be incapable of effecting her own release. 
Yet with her drill she is very well able to 
perforate the shell when the egg has to be 
installed. Why should she be prevented 
from doing in the inverse direction what she 
is able to perform inwards from without? 
A little reflection will show us the tremend- 
ous difficulty. 
To place the egg in position, a fine tube, 
of the thickness of the drill, is sufficient. 
To give passage to the solid adult Weevil 
would demand a comparatively enormous 
opening. ‘The material to be pierced is very 
hard, so hard that the larva, with the power- 
ful gouges of its mandibles, bores a hole 
only just big enough to allow the head to 
pass. The rest of the body has to follow by 
dint of exhausting efforts. 
How could the insect open a sufficiently 
large door with its delicate foil, when the 
far better-equipped grub has so much 
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