The Pea-Weevil: The Larva 
finds infant-food within its reach, that is to 
say, the layer which, being at some distance 
from the surface, hardens slowly and retains 
the dainty juices for a greater length of 
time. This inner layer may be regarded as 
the crumb of an otherwise crusty loaf. 
In the pea, which is a small sphere, it 
occupies the central part, a limited area which 
the grub has to reach or perish; in the bean, 
a generous muffin, it includes the large joint 
of the two flat seed-lobes. No matter where 
the big seed is tackled, each larva need but 
bore straight ahead and it quickly reaches 
the coveted food. 
Then what happens? I add up the eggs 
adhering to a bean-pod, I count the seeds 
inside and, on comparing the two totals, I 
find that there is plenty of room for the 
whole family, at the rate of five or six to 
each bean. Here we have no surplus larve 
dying of starvation almost as soon as they 
leave the egg: all have their share of the 
ample portion, all live and prosper. The 
abundance of the provisions counterbalances 
the mother’s extravagance. _ 
If the Bruchus always adopted the broad 
bean as the establishment of her family, I 
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