The Life of the Weevil 
something very nearly, the bean of Monte- 
zuma, the Aztec ayacot, found its way from 
Mexico to our kitchen-gardens. : 
But it came to us unaccompanied by the 
insect which is its titular consumer, for there 
must certainly be a Weevil in its native 
country which levies tribute on the generous 
bean. Our indigenous nibblers of seeds have 
disowned the foreigner; they have not yet 
had time to become familiar with it and to 
appreciate its merits; they have prudently 
refrained from touching the ayacot, which 
aroused suspicion because of its novelty. 
Until our own days, therefore, the Mexican 
bean remained unharmed, differing curiously 
in this from our other legumina, all of which 
are eagerly devoured by the Weevil. 
This state of things could not last. If 
our fields do not contain the haricot-loving 
insect, the New World knows it well. In 
the ordinary way of commercial exchange, 
some sack of worm-eaten beans was bound 
to bring it to Europe. The invasion was 
inevitable. 
Indeed, according to data in my possession, 
it seems recently to have taken place. Three 
or four years ago, I received from Mail- 
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