The Life of the Weevil 
were their effort to cease, the cylinder might 
at once come unrolled. There must be no 
interruption of work for this brief diversion, 
the insect’s only enjoyment. 
The stoppage of the machine, which 
remains tense in order to keep the recal- 
citrant roll in subjection, is soon over. The 
male retires to a little distance, without quit- 
ting the leaf, and the task is resumed. 
Sooner or later, before the seals are set up- 
on the work, a fresh visit is paid by the 
dawdler, who, under pretence of assisting, 
comes running up, sticks his claws for a 
moment into the partly-rolled piece, plucks 
up courage and renews his exploits with as 
much liveliness as though nothing had yet 
occurred. And this is repeated three or 
four times during the making of a single 
cigar, so much so that we begin to wonder 
whether the laying of each egg may not 
require the direct cooperation of the insa- 
tiable swain. 
It is true that numerous couples are 
formed in the sunlight, on the leaves not yet 
punctured. Here the nuptial gambols are 
really a frolic unaffected by the stern 
demands of labour. The insects revel un- 
154 
