92 



deposited was unusually small, and those few placed in sealed cavities 

 failed to hatch. After somewhat more than a month had been passed 

 in isolation, a few pairs were mated to see if any change in the manner 

 of oviposition would result. The very next eggs deposited by these 

 fertilized females were placed in the squares and the cavities sealed up 

 in the usual manner, showing that the infertile condition had been the 

 cause of the abnormal manner of oviposition. 



Experiments made in 1903 and in 1904 agreed perfectly in general 

 results. 



DEVELOPMENT. 



PERCENTAGE OF WEEVILS DEVELOPED FROM INFESTED 



SQUARES. 



During the season of 1902 part of the many squares gathered in 

 infested fields for the breeding of weevils were followed to learn some- 

 thing of the percentage which produced normal adults. No exam- 

 ination was made for those not yielding a weevil. The decay of the 

 square during the period from its falling to the maximum time that 

 must be allowed for weevils to escape normally so obliterates any 

 small amount of work by a larva that it is difficult, even with exam- 

 ination, to determine accurately the number of dead small larvae. 



Table XXI. — Percentage of weevils from infested squares. 



Locality. 



Approximate date. 



Number 



of 

 squares. 



Number 



of 

 weevils. 



Percentage 



of squares 



producing 



■weevils. 



Victoria, Tex. 



1902. 

 Julv to August 



1,125 

 387 



334 

 873 



368 



951 



360 

 108 



106 

 355 

 192 



469 



32.0 







28.0 



Victoria, Tex 



. 1903. 



32.0 



Do ! June to August 



41.0 





52.0 



Do 



1904. 

 June to September 



49.3 







Total ! 



4,038 



1,590 



39.4 



- 1 





It seems safe to conclude that throughout the season fully one-third 

 of the squares which fall after receiving weevil injury may be expected 

 to produce weevils. 



DEVELOPMENT OF WEEVILS IN SQUARES WHICH NEVER FALL. 



1 It is generally true that squares seriously injured by the weevil 

 sooner or later fall to the ground. Some plants, however, shed the 

 injured squares more readily than do others. It seems to be a matter 

 •of individual variation rather than a varietal character. Thus occa- 

 sional plants retain a large proportion of their infested squares, which 



