The Life of the Weevil 
and that is all. The germ is left there, 
unprotected, right in the sun. Nor is any 
choice of site made, to assist the coming grub 
and shorten its quest when it has to make 
its way unaided into the larder. ‘There are 
eggs placed on the swellings created by the 
peas; there are just as many in the barren 
dividing valleys. It is for the grub to take 
its bearings accordingly. In short, the 
Bruchus’ eggs are laid anyhow, as though 
sown on the wing. 
A more serious flaw: the number of eggs 
confided to one pod is not in proportion to 
that of the peas contained init. Let us first 
realize that each grub needs a ration of one 
pea, an obligatory ration, amply sufficient for 
the welfare of one larva, but not big enough 
for several consumers, nor even for two. 
A pea for each grub, no more and no less, 
is the invariable rule. 
Procreative economy would therefore 
demand that the mother, familiar with the 
pod which she has just explored, should, 
when emitting her germs, more or less limit 
their number to that of the peas which it 
contains. Now there is no limit. To a 
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