COLEOPTERA OR BEETLES. 157 



bird ; but if we carefully and quietly watch a row showing 



these symptoms, we will observe, sitting on the edge of the 



leaf, a clay-coloured beetle : this insect is one of the Pea and 



Bean Weevils, either Sttones Kneatus or S. crinitus. These 



beetles are about one-fourth of an inch in length, the former 



having three dark longitudinal strips on the thorax, the latter 



somewhat larger and clay-ooloured all over. Like the other 



weevil described, they hibernate as adults ; but they are also 



found in the larval state in winter. The hibernators come 



out on the wing the first warm days in spring, and feed off 



clover, lucern, and trifolium, as well as 



peas and beans. It is especially the last 



two that they damage by eating away the 



leaves, taking large notches out of them. 



These sitones are most timid : directly they 



hear a sound, or feel the least movement, 



they fall to the ground on their backs, and 



remain as if dead. Feigning death is a 



common habit amongst weevils. The larvffi 



live in summer at the roots of peas and 



beans, and often do some damage to them. 



They mature before the end of summer, (.siioiws lineatus), nat. 



,1 1 li. j: ii 1 • J.1 ■ size, and magnified. 



the adults from them laymg their eggs upon (whitehead.) 

 the roots of clover, where the white, foot- 

 less, curved grubs remain feeding throughout the winter, and 

 very frequently kill the clover. The adults which hibernate 

 pass the winter in all manner of places. They have been 

 noticed in numbers in barley stubble : I have seen them in 

 great quantities in corn-stacks, and in a variety of other places. 

 Field peas often suffer very severely, as well as garden produce. 

 Preventioti and Remedies. — The destruction of all winter 

 shelter is essential. When field peas are attacked, a light 

 rolling does much good, followed by a dressing of soot ; the 

 soot annoys them, and when lying on their backs on the ground, 

 a light roller destroys a great number, besides breaking down 



