THE INSECT WORLD. 



223 



miJ'ichalcea, so named because of its resemblance to a drop of 

 molten gold. The injury is done by these species just after the 

 plants are set out and before they get a start. Where the season 

 is unfavorable to rapid growth, some plants may be killed, but 

 under ordinary conditions they are soon out of danger. Good 

 practice is to set only large, weU-developed plants, or to dip 

 everything before setting out in the arsenate of lead mixture 

 recommended against the flea-beetles. Finally, it has been found 

 that chickens are fond of the insects in all stages, and by turning 

 loose a sufficient number in the fields after the plants have been 

 set out practical exemption is secured. 



The bean- and pea-weevils constitute a little family by them- 

 selves under the term BruchidcB. They agree with the leaf- 

 beetles in general structure, but 

 have a small head, prolonged into -^2- 

 a blunt snout, a very obese abdo- 

 men, exposed at the tip by the 

 short, square wing-covers, and 

 much enlarged hind legs, which 

 are not used for leaping. They 

 are always small and usually more 

 or less ashen-gray in color, covered 



with whitish hair or scales, which Bean-weevil, Bruckus fabce much 



enlarged; 5, an infested bean. 



form variably evident markings on 



the wing-covers. The beetles are often found in dried seeds of 

 leguminous plants, — peas, beans, lentils, or the like, — and are 

 sometimics seriously injurious in the stored product, lessening 

 also or destroying the germinating power. The beetles come 

 out normally in the spring, and after pairing the females lay 

 their eggs in the young pods of the plants affected by them. 

 The larvae work their way into the forming seed and grow very 

 slowly, the species varying somewhat in the details of their life 

 history. Our only method of controUing the insects is in the 

 stored product, or seed, and here by means of bisulphide of car- 

 bon we can kill lan^ae as well as adult beetles, in any moderately 

 tight receptacle. The rule should be, gather the entire crop and 

 allow nothing to remain in the field ; plant only sound seed, and 

 never under any circumstances throw away weevilly" peas, 

 beans, lentils, etc. They should always be burnt, or otherwise 



