Do 
greatest rainfall is in January at College Station, and probably the 
largest number usually succumb in that month. 
That the rainfall is probably the most important factor in deter- 
mining the mortality of the hibernating brood is very apparent upon 
studying the platted curves for rainfall and temperature for different 
points where we have made observations as to the abundance of the 
weevil for several years. After a wet winter weevils are fewer, and 
after an open dry one they are exceedingly abundant. This has never 
been more strikingly illustrated than last winter, which in southern 
Texas was unusually dry and open, whereas during the previous win- 
ter there had been a marked excess of rainfall. As a result, in the 
spring of 1904 the weevils appeared in enormous numbers and a crop 
failure resulted, whereas in 1903 this section made a crop in many 
cases above the average, although this was partially due to weather 
conditions in summer. <A study of the normal mean temperature and 
rainfall of southwestern, southern, and central Texas shows that 
undoubtedly the larger mortality in the last section is due to the more 
unfavorable winter weather. 
Hunter and Hinds have stated that the weevils usually emerge from 
hibernation after the temperature has been over 60° for some time, and 
that in 1903 they emerged after it had been at 68° for some time. After 
studying the available data with the aid of temperature curves, plat- 
ted for various points where the time of emergence was known, I am 
convinced that this 1s approximately correct and that when the mean 
daily temperature becomes 68° the first weevils commence to emerge. 
Thus the weevils would normally commence to emerge at Victoria 
about April 1 and at College Station April 15. Usually the weevils 
will commence to emerge ten days earlier in southwestern and coast 
counties than in central and eastern Texas, and about twenty days 
earlier than in northern and northwestern counties. 
The weevils do not all emerge at -once, however, but continue to 
appear for from four to six weeks. Usually the greatest number of 
weevils appear about the time the cotton commences to square, and 
the beginning of oviposition is but a few days later, as it has been 
shown by Hunter and Hinds that a female must feed upon the squares 
before she will commence oviposition. After this time very few of 
the hibernating brood appear. That the time of this maximum 
emergence, as well as the squaring of the cotton plant with which it 
seems to be largely coincident, is dependent upon weather conditions 
may be taken for granted. But what.are these conditions? Hunter 
and Hinds have shown that the average mean temperature at which 
the weevil is active and reproduces throughout the season is about 
78° F. Thus it might seem that when the mean daily temperature 
had become 78° the maximum emergence would take place, but com- 
25524—No. 52-—05 mM 3 
