The Life of the Weevil 
horned Beetle does nothing but mount his 
mate, who, gripped by her rider, wanders at 
will and, with the point of her oviscapt, se- 
lects the fissures in the bark best-suited to 
receive the eggs. 
At long intervals, the Cerambyx steps off 
and goes to refresh himself on a piece of 
pear. Then suddenly he stamps his feet as 
though he had gone mad; he returns with a 
frantic rush, clambers into the saddle and 
resumes his seat, of which he makes free 
use at all hours of the night and day. At 
the moment when the egg is being placed 
in position, he keeps quiet; with his hairy 
tongue he polishes the egg-layer’s back, which 
is a Capricorn’s way of caressing; but the 
next instant he renews his attempts, which 
are usually followed by success. There is 
no end to it! 
The pairing continues in this manner for 
a month; it does not cease until the ovaries 
are exhausted. Then, mutually worn out, 
having no further business on the trunk of 
the oak, husband and wife separate, languish 
for a few days and die. 
What conclusion are we to draw from this 
extraordinary persistency in the Cerambyx, 
t 156 
